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.
Launches & SpacecraftNASA hopes to launch Artemis 2 astronauts to the moon next month, but it's going to be tight: 'This is not a rush'NASA may be 1 month away from historic Artemis 2 astronaut launch around the moon SpaceX's Starship megarocket will get off the ground again in mid-March, if all goes according to plan.
SpaceX can launch its Starship megarocket from Florida pad, Air Force saysThe giant vehicle consists of two elements: a booster called Super Heavy and an upper-stage spacecraft known as Starship, or simply Ship. Both stages are designed to be fully reusable, and both are powered by SpaceX's Raptor engine. Starship debuted in April 2023 and now has 11 suborbital test flights under its belt, five of which occurred last year. The most recent two, which lifted off on, were completely successful, but there was a hiccup in the leadup to Flight 12: The Super Heavy originally slated for the missionIf you can't see SpaceX's Starship in person, you can score a model of your own. Standing at 13.77 inches , this is a 1:375 ratio of SpaceX's Starship as a desktop model. The materials here are alloy steel and it weighs just 225g.Flight 12 will mark the debut of Starship V3, which is slightly taller than V2 — 408.1 feet vs. 403.9 feet — but considerably more powerful. V3 can loft more than 100 tons of payload toBreaking space news, the latest updates on rocket launches, skywatching events and more!Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors The increased brawn comes courtesy of Raptor 3, a new variant of the engine that will fly for the first time on the upcoming test mission. Flight 12 will be a pretty big deal, because Starship V3 is the first iteration of the megarocket that's capable of flying to Mars. If things go well with this and other upcoming test missions — which must demonstrate key capabilities such as reaching Earth orbit and in-space refueling — SpaceX could potentially launch a small fleet of uncrewed Starship V3 vehicles to the Red Planet 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.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Artemis 2 astronauts enter quarantine ahead of historic NASA moon launchMichael 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.
Read more »
Space Physics, Cardiac Research Kickoff Last Week in JanuarySpace physics and cardiac research kicked off the week aboard the International Space Station for the three-person Expedition 74 crew. The orbital residents explored storing cryogenic fluids in space and how their cardiovascular system is adapting to weightlessness.
Read more »
Free rent, few takers: Despite incentives, labs aren’t taking space in San DiegoAsking rents have decreased for 14 consecutive quarters and landlords have given huge concessions. Still, biotechs aren’t biting.
Read more »
Engine AI to Launch Humanoid Robot Astronaut into SpaceChinese robotics company Engine AI is partnering with a commercial space firm to send a humanoid robot, the PM01, into space. The mission aims to create the world's first robot astronaut, capable of performing complex tasks and reducing risks for human crews. The robot will undergo extensive testing and development to withstand the harsh conditions of space. Simultaneously, Engine AI is expanding the commercial presence of the PM01 robot on Earth.
Read more »
Fewer homicides, housing surge, less vacant space downtown top Denver mayor’s 2026 goalsDenver Mayor Mike Johnston says he’ll focus on reducing homicides, getting more people off the streets, accelerating the permitting of new housing and filling some of downtown’s vacant …
Read more »
Astronaut sees sunset from space | Space photo of the day for Jan. 27, 2026Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is the Content Manager at Space.com. Formerly, she was the Science Communicator at JILA, a physics research institute. Kenna is also a freelance science journalist. Her beats include quantum technology, AI, animal intelligence, corvids, and cephalopods.
Read more »