Tariq is the Editor-in-Chief of Space.com based out of our New York City office and joined the team in 2001, first as an intern and staff writer, and later as an editor. He covers human spaceflight, exploration and space science, as well as skywatching and entertainment. He became Space.com's Managing Editor in 2009 and Editor-in-Chief in 2019. In October 2022, Tariq received the Harry Kolcum Award for excellence in space reporting from the National Space Club Florida Committee. In June 2025, the National Space Society awarded him the Space Pioneer Award for Excellence in Mass Media at the International Space Development Conference in Orlando, Florida.
Hailing from Stockton, California (where he attended the same high school as NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez), Tariq studied print journalism and astronomy at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, earning a bachelor's degree in journalism in 1999 along with a minor in astronomy. He then served as a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times covering education and city beats in La Habra and Fullerton in Orange County for the Our Times sections.
In 2000, Tariq became the city reporter for the Huntington Beach Independent, a weekly publication of the Los Angeles Times, covering local politics and events, crime, business and environmental issues. He left the Los Angeles Times in 2001 to study science journalism at New York University, where he earned a master's degree in 2002 from NYU's Science and Environmental Reporting Program (now the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program) under the direction of space reporter William Burrows.
Tariq first joined Space.com as an intern in September 2001 while also serving as a research assistant for nutrition writer Gary Taubes and writing freelance projects, where his work appeared in The Scientist and Laboratory Equipment Magazine. He became a full-time reporter covering spaceflight in 2004, with this first launch being NASA's STS-114 Return to Flight mission in July 2005.
Tariq is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times as a kid and a fifth time as an adult. When not writing about space, you can find Tariq watching the latest Star Trek TV series, sci-fi movies and reading about hippos, his favorite animal. You can find Tariq at Space.com and as the co-host to the This Week In Space podcast with space historian Rod Pyle on the TWiT network. To see his latest project, you can follow Tariq on Twitter @tariqjmalik.
Latest articles by Tariq Malik

By Tariq Malik, Steve Spaleta Last updated
Get to know NASA's Artemis 2 moon mission with Space.com's exclusive four-part video series Inside Artemis II debuting March 25-March 31.

By Tariq Malik Published
"It ain't about racism. It's about the human condition."

By Tariq Malik Published
A massive X1.4 solar flare won't endanger NASA's four Artemis 2 astronauts on their way to the moon.

By Elizabeth Howell, Tariq Malik Published
NASA astronaut Victor Glover says he is not solely focused on milestones for the Artemis 2 mission, but also on how to engage different communities about the crew’s work.

By Elizabeth Howell, Tariq Malik Published
NASA astronaut Reid Wiseman, commander Artemis 2, the first moon mission in more than 50 years, says his crew will do his best to get the job done well.

By Elizabeth Howell, Tariq Malik Published
Jeremy Hansen grew up in a world with no Canadian astronauts. Soon, the Artemis 2 crewmate wil become the first person from his country to fly around the moon.

By Josh Dinner, Tariq Malik Last updated
Follow Space.com's rocket launch blog for the latest on when the next rocket launch will be and how to follow it live.

By Tariq Malik Last updated
Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026: Updates on SpaceX and NASA's Crew-12 astronaut mission to the International Space Station.

By Tariq Malik, Mike Wall, Josh Dinner Last updated
NASA is returning four astronauts to Earth early from the International Space Station due to a medical concern with one of the Crew-11 astronauts. Here's the latest news.

By Tariq Malik Published
An Artemis Orion capsule could take space shuttle Discovery's place in Houston, NASA's new chief says.

By Tariq Malik Published
Tory Bruno, the longtime chief of the launch provider United Launch Alliance (ULA) has joined the competition at Blue Origin.

By Tariq Malik Published
Iran has launched a trio of new satellites into space with the help of a Russian rocket, the country's state media reported Sunday (Dec. 28).

By Tariq Malik Published
Tory Bruno is leaving ULA to pursue new opportunities, the company said. Bruno says it will be "Something interesting."

By Tariq Malik Published
They won't be home for Christmas, but astronauts in space are finding their own way to make the season bright.

By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic, Anthony Wood Last updated
Friday, Dec. 19, 2025: Your daily feed for the holiday flyby of interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS by Earth.

By Tariq Malik Published
Deals Disney Plus and Hulu are bundled for over 60% off in this Black Friday streaming deal, so you can stream all the vintage Disney and National Geographic space documentaries you want.

By Tariq Malik Published
SpaceX called off the planned launch of 140 satellites atop a used Falcon 9 rocket on Wednesday (Nov. 26) in California.

By Tariq Malik Published
NASA and Boeing are also reducing the number of astronaut flights Boeing's Starliner will fly to the International Space Station.

By Josh Dinner, Tariq Malik Published
Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket launched for the second time ever today (Nov. 13), sending NASA's twin Mars ESCAPADE probes aloft — and acing an epic booster landing at sea.

By Mike Wall, Tariq Malik Last updated
The ESCAPADE Mars mission is scheduled to launch atop a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket today (Nov. 13), and you can watch the action live.

By Tariq Malik Last updated
NASA's first Mars launch in more than five years will wait a little longer to get off the ground.

By Tariq Malik, Josh Dinner Last updated
NASA's Artemis 2 mission is returning astronauts to the moon for the first time since 1972. See live mission updates here.

By Tariq Malik, Josh Dinner Last updated
Read the latest news about SpaceX's Starship megarocket test flights, launches, photos and more.

By Tariq Malik Published
Deals These binoculars guide you through the night sky in real time, with a database of 200,000 stars, and in this hands-on test, I was impressed with their quality. They're currently also $500 off for pre-orders.

By Tariq Malik Published
The four astronauts of NASA's Artemis 2 mission to the moon, which could launch as early as Feb. 5, are deep in training for the first crewed lunar flight in over 50 years.
Breaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!