Expert Voices

SPACE.com invites experts in space exploration, science & technology to provide insightful commentary and informed perspective on news, current events, innovations, big ideas and ongoing research. Expert Voices includes Op-Ed analysis and opinion as well as interesting observations from the field and space exploration efforts around the world.

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Wind and flames rip through an area near Geyserville, California, during the Kincade Fire on Oct. 24, 2019.

California Wildfires Signal the Arrival of a Planetary Fire Age

By Stephen Pyne

The Earth may be entering an era in which natural and human-generated fire together are reshaping the planet.

Space May Soon Become a War Zone — Here's How That Would Work

By Gareth Dorrian, Ian Whittaker

At an upcoming summit in early December, NATO is expected to declare space as a "warfighting domain," partly in response to new developments in technology.

Humans May Be the Only Intelligent Life in the Universe, If Evolution Has Anything to Say

By Nick Longrich

A look at 4.5 billion years of Earth's history tells us that intelligence, including extraterrestrial intelligence, is unlikely to evolve.

The Starship MK1 assembled at SpaceX's build and launch facility in Texas.

Could Elon Musk's Starship Threaten Alien Life?

By Samantha Rolfe

Elon Musk's bold plan to send a crewed Starship to Mars and beyond has potential dire consequences for alien life.

The International Space Station has supported scientific research in orbit for two decades.

Spread the Word: Space Development Benefits Earth (Op-Ed)

By Karlton Johnson

For years, society has benefited from technologies developed to reach and provide services in space.

An artist's depiction of the first identified interstellar object, 'Oumuamua.

Why Was 'Oumuamua So Weird? New Research Tries to Track Its Origins.

By Paul Sutter

Obviously, some chain of unfortunate events led to the ejection of 'Oumuamua from its home system. But what could possibly cause such a catastrophe?

Augmented reality provides an immersive way to learn about space. In this photo, NASA's Mars Curiosity rover pays a virtual visit to someone's living room via the agency's free Spacecraft AR mobile app.

How Augmented Reality Will Bring Space Books to Life

By Michael D. Shaw

When we read about the glories of space, we often miss the most magnificent part about exploring it: the audiovisual experience.

Artist’s illustration of a Breakthrough Starshot probe arriving at the potentially Earth-like planet Proxima Centauri b. A representation of laser beams is visible emanating from the corners of the craft’s lightsail.

Is Interstellar Travel Really Possible?

By Paul Sutter

Interstellar flight is a real pain in the neck.

A 'Quarkonium Spectrum' of Exotic Particles Might Lurk in the Universe, So Why Can't We Find Them?

By Paul Sutter

There are some odd little particles out there that are bound by the strong nuclear force, but physicists can barely get a glimpse of them before they flit out of existence.

On June 5-6, 2012, NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory collected images of one of the rarest predictable solar events: the transit of Venus across the face of the Sun.

Why We Need to Get Back to Venus

By Paul K. Byrne.

Just next door, cosmologically speaking, is a planet almost exactly like Earth.

India's Chandrayaan-2 Moon mission blasts off from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, India, on 22 July 2019.

India Has It Right: Nations Either Aim for the Moon or Get Left Behind in the Space Economy

By Nicholas Borroz

Space is poised to become a much bigger business, and both companies and countries are investing in the technological capability to ensure they reap the earthly rewards.

Amazon Wildfires Are Horrifying, But They're Not Destroying Earth's Oxygen Supply

By Scott Denning

Even if the entire Amazon rainforest burned down, we'd be okay.

NASA's new Artemis program aims to land the first woman on the moon in 2024. Here's a look back at the history of women and the moon in literature.

How Women and the Moon Intertwine in Literature

By Sara Read, Catie Gill

Women have long been associated with the moon and it is no wonder, then, that the moon has stimulated some incredible literature by female writers.

Hubble observed this tiny galaxy hosting a supermassive black hole

Astronomers Solve the Mystery of Small Galaxies with Monster Black Holes

By Paul Sutter

The discovery may reveal a crucial link between the evolution of black holes and galaxies.

NASA astronaut Buzz Aldrin stands on the moon during the Apollo 11 mission in July 1969.

Who Owns the Moon?

By Frans von der Dunk

A space lawyer answers this apparently common question.

Commercial use of lunar polar volatiles provides an access point to a supply line of in-space propellant.

A Walk on Future-Moon — July 20, 2044 (Op-Ed)

By David Sky Brody

Apollo 11 astronauts Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong travel to the Saturn V rocket, ready to lift off and head for the moon.

For All Humankind: The National Space Society and ISDC 2019

By Bruce Pittman

The NSS and the International Space Development Conference of June 2019.

NASA is making a new effort to encourage women to pursue STEM careers.

Women are Less Supportive of Space Exploration — Getting a Woman on the Moon Might Change That

By Wendy Whitman Cobb

Women have been historically excluded from the space program but getting a woman to the Moon may change that.

Five Reasons Future Space Travel Should Explore Asteroids

By Dimitri Veras and James Blake

While the world reflects on the first flight to the moon and our future on Mars, we think asteroids — the so-called "minor planets" — deserve recognition.

Breaks in the Perfect Symmetry of the Universe Could Be a Window Into Completely New Physics

By Paul Sutter

If this fundamental symmetry of the universe doesn’t hold, it could break open new physics.

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