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 Published
Boeing's Starliner Crew Flight Test faced down thruster glitches and helium leaks to reach the International Space Station on June 6. Why all the glitches and is NASA worried?

By Tariq Malik Last updated
SpaceX will launch its 4th Starship test flight as early as Thursday (June 6) in what it hopes will be a historic flight of the world's biggest rocket. Here's when it may fly.

By Tariq Malik Published
SpaceX and the FAA have even outlined 3 ways Starship's Flight 4 could fail and skip an anomaly investigation.

By Tariq Malik Last updated
Boeing is ready to launch its first-ever Starliner astronaut mission for NASA on June 5. Here's what to know on when it will launch.

By Tariq Malik Published
Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa won't shoot for the moon on SpaceX's Starship after all.

By Tariq Malik Published
The stars of Star Trek are about to get a taste of real-life space exploration when they beam into the 2024 International Space Development Conference in Los Angeles this weekend.

By Tariq Malik Published
A Blue Origin rocket will launch its first private astronaut spaceflight since 2022 this weekend. Here's what time to watch.

By Tariq Malik, Daisy Dobrijevic Published
An aurora show like no other is playing out in the night sky this weekend, spawned by intense solar storms that are painting the sky spectacular hues of pinks, purples and greens.

By Tariq Malik Published
The total solar eclipse of 2024 was an epic experience to share with my daughter. It was one part celestial event, one part college prep.

By Tariq Malik Published
I really thought I left dorm life behind 20 years ago. But just when I thought I was out, the 2024 total solar eclipse pulled me back in.

By Tariq Malik Published
The first total solar eclipse I saw in 2017 was a work event. For the 2024 total solar eclipse, I'm bringing my kid.

By Tariq Malik Published
Pluto may have lost its status as a full-fledged planet in 2006, but that doesn't mean it's a joke of a world this April Fools' Day and the folks behind Pluto TV want to make that clear.

By Tariq Malik Published
A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts bound for the International Space Station experienced a rare abort on the launch pad on Thursday (March 21).

By Tariq Malik Last updated
SpaceX plans to launch its first Starship test of 2024 as early as Thursday (March 14) in what it hopes will be a historic orbital flight of the world's biggest rocket. Here's when it may fly.

By Tariq Malik Published
SpaceX's next Starship to fly has successfully passed a critical fueling test ahead of the company's much anticipated Starship Flight 3 test launch this month.

By Tariq Malik Last updated
SpaceX will launch its first NASA astronaut flight of 2024 and you can watch it live online, but you'll need to know when.

By Tariq Malik Published
SpaceX delayed its Crew-8 astronaut launch for NASA to no earlier than Sunday, March 3, due to unacceptable ascent winds on Saturday night (March 2).

By Tariq Malik Last updated
SpaceX launched 23 Starlink satellites from Florida on Leap Day (Feb. 29) after postponing a Crew-8 astronaut launch for NASA.

By Tariq Malik Published
SpaceX's first astronaut launch of 2024 will lift off nearly 48 hours later than planned due to weather concerns, NASA says.

By Tariq Malik Published
SpaceX and NASA are officially go to launch their next astronaut mission to International Space Station on March 2.

By Tariq Malik Last updated
Intuitive Machines will land its private Odysseus IM-1 lander on the moon on Feb. 22. Here's when and how to watch.

By Tariq Malik Published
A newfound asteroid the size of a bus will zoom close by Earth on Thursday (Feb. 22), but it shouldn't pose a threat to our planet.

By Tariq Malik Published
SpaceX and NASA postponed the launch of their joint Crew-8 mission to the ISS to no earlier than March 1 due to the recent IM-1 private moon lander launch.

By Tariq Malik Last updated
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch a new private lunar lander to the moon for the company Intuitive Machines and NASA this week, and you can watch it live online in a series of free webcasts.

By Tariq Malik Last updated
SpaceX will launch a privately built lunar lander to the moon for the company Intuitive Machines on Feb. 15, and if you want to know where and when it will lift off, we've got you covered.
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