Mike Wall
Michael Wall is a Senior Space Writer with Space.com and joined the team in 2010. He primarily covers exoplanets, spaceflight and military space, but has been known to dabble in the space art beat. His book about the search for alien life, "Out There," was published on Nov. 13, 2018. Before becoming a science writer, Michael worked as a herpetologist and wildlife biologist. He has a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology from the University of Sydney, Australia, a bachelor's degree from the University of Arizona, and a graduate certificate in science writing from the University of California, Santa Cruz. To find out what his latest project is, you can follow Michael on Twitter.
Latest articles by Mike Wall
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched another batch of the company's Starlink internet satellites on Sunday (April 28).
SpaceX's 30th Dragon cargo mission departs the ISS, heads home to Earth
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX's 30th robotic Dragon cargo ship undocked from the International Space Station today (April 28) and headed back home to Earth.
SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket on record-tying 20th mission (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched a European satellite-navigation mission on Saturday (April 27). It was a record-tying 20th liftoff for this particular booster.
Wow! Private space-junk probe snaps historic photo of discarded rocket in orbit
By Mike Wall published
The private ADRAS-J probe snapped an epic, up-close image of its rendezvous target, a Japanese rocket stage that's been circling Earth since 2009.
Boeing's Starliner spacecraft is 'go' for May 6 astronaut launch
By Mike Wall published
Boeing's Starliner capsule has been cleared for its first-ever crewed launch, a test flight scheduled to send two astronauts toward the International Space Station on May 6.
Watch 2 cosmonauts conduct spacewalk outside the ISS today
By Mike Wall published
Two Russian cosmonauts are scheduled to spend about seven hours working outside the International Space Station today (April 25), and you can watch the action live.
Watch China launch 3 astronauts to Tiangong space station today
By Mike Wall published
China plans to launch the three-astronaut Shenzhou 18 mission to its Tiangong space station today (April 25), and you can watch the action live.
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites, aces 300th rocket landing (photos, video)
By Mike Wall last updated
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket sent 23 more of the company's Starlink internet satellites skyward today (April 23).
Rocket Lab launches new NASA solar sail tech to orbit (video, photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
Rocket Lab launched a South Korean Earth-observation satellite and new NASA solar-sailing tech this evening (April 23).
NASA ends CloudSat Earth-observing mission after 18 years
By Mike Wall published
NASA's pioneering CloudSat weather and climate mission has come to an end after nearly 18 productive years in Earth orbit.
NASA satellite's 'shocking' space junk near-miss was even closer than thought
By Mike Wall published
The Feb. 28 encounter between NASA's TIMED satellite and a dead Russian spacecraft was even closer than first thought — a mere 33 feet (10 meters) or so, NASA officials said.
Ingenuity's travels: New NASA video tracks Mars helicopter's 72 flights
By Mike Wall published
NASA's history-making Ingenuity helicopter covered a lot of ground on Mars over the past three years, as a new video shows.
SpaceX launches Starlink satellites on company's 40th mission of 2024 (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched its 40th mission of 2024 this evening (April 18), sending yet another batch of the company's Starlink internet satellites skyward.
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites from Florida (photo, video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida's Space Coast this evening (April 17), and landed its rocket on a ship at sea.
Ingenuity team says goodbye to pioneering Mars helicopter
By Mike Wall published
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter team met one last time on Tuesday (April 16) to oversee a transmission from the little rotorcraft.
Object that slammed into Florida home was indeed space junk from ISS, NASA confirms
By Mike Wall published
The small object that crashed through the roof of a Florida home last month was indeed part of a pallet jettisoned from the ISS three years ago, NASA has confirmed.
NASA's Mars sample return plan is getting a major overhaul: 'The bottom line is $11 billion is too expensive'
By Mike Wall published
NASA is asking its various research centers as well as private industry for new ideas about how to get Mars samples back to Earth relatively quickly and cost-effectively.
SpaceX launches advanced weather satellite for US Space Force (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched a mission for the U.S. Space Force April 11, sending aloft an advanced environment-monitoring satellite.
Could these big expandable habitats help humanity settle the moon and Mars?
By Mike Wall published
Max Space is building habitat modules that could expand to enormous sizes in space, giving humanity plenty of room to live in orbit as well as on the moon and Mars.
China moving at 'breathtaking speed' in final frontier, Space Force says
By Mike Wall published
China is ratcheting up its space capabilities at an impressive clip, with an eye toward potentially ending the United States’ long-held space supremacy, U.S. officials say.
SpaceX launches 23 Starlink satellites in nighttime liftoff (photos, video)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX launched another batch of its Starlink internet satellites from Florida early Wednesday morning (April 10).
Astrobotic to launch mini rover along with NASA's ice-hunting VIPER on next moon mission
By Mike Wall published
Astrobotic's next moon mission will send not one but two rovers to Earth's nearest neighbor.
SpaceX rocket launches 11 satellites, including one for South Korea, on Bandwagon-1 rideshare flight (photos)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX is set to launch 11 satellites on the Bandwagon-1 rideshare mission tonight (April 7) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.