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

Rocket Lab scrubs launch of Korean disaster-monitoring satellite due to sensor issue
By Mike Wall published
Rocket Lab will launch a Korean disaster-monitoring satellite today (Dec. 10), and you can watch the action live.

China breaks record with 3 Long March rocket launches in 19-hour stretch (video)
By Mike Wall published
China just launched three Long March rockets in less than 19 hours, setting a new national mark for liftoff cadence.

SpaceX launches mysterious NROL-77 mission for the US military (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched the NROL-77 mission for the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office today (Dec. 9), sending a classified satellite skyward from Florida's Space Coast.

Chinese astronauts inspect damaged Shenzhou 20 spacecraft during 8-hour spacewalk (video)
By Mike Wall published
Two Chinese astronauts installed more debris shielding on the Tiangong space station and assessed the damage to the attached Shenzhou 20 spacecraft during a spacewalk on Tuesday (Dec. 9).

1st human missions to Mars should hunt for signs of life, report says
By Mike Wall published
Humanity's exploration of Mars should be organized around the search for signs of past or present Red Planet life, according to a new report from the U.S. National Academies.

Watch 3 astronauts land on Earth aboard Russian spacecraft early Dec. 9
By Mike Wall published
NASA's Jonny Kim and two cosmonauts are scheduled to come back to Earth early Tuesday (Dec. 9), and you can watch their homecoming live.

Watch Rocket Lab launch Japanese technology-demonstrating satellite to orbit on Dec. 11
By Mike Wall published
Rocket Lab will launch a Japanese technology-demonstrating satellite on Friday night (Dec. 12), and you can watch the action live.

SpaceX launches 28 Starlink satellites to orbit from California (video)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX launched yet another batch of its Starlink internet satellites on Thursday (Dec. 4), sending 28 of them up from California's central coast.

Was Elon Musk in the room where it happened? This senator still wants to know
By Mike Wall published
As he did eight months ago, Sen. Ed Markey asked Jared Isaacman if Elon Musk was in the room when President Trump first offered him the job of NASA chief. And, once again, Isaacman demurred.

Next Blue Origin tourist launch will fly wheelchair user to space for 1st time
By Mike Wall published
Blue Origin's next space tourist launch will make history, sending a wheelchair user to the final frontier for the first time.

SpaceX can launch its Starship megarocket from Florida pad, Air Force says
By Mike Wall published
The U.S. Air Force has given SpaceX permission to develop SLC-37 at Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as a launch site for its Starship megarocket.

Round 2: Watch Senate hearing for Jared Isaacman's re-nomination as NASA chief today
By Mike Wall last updated
The U.S. Senate will hold its second hearing to consider billionaire tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman's nomination for NASA chief on Wednesday (Dec. 3), and you can watch the action live.

Cosmonaut removed from SpaceX's Crew 12 mission for violating national security rules: report
By Mike Wall published
Veteran cosmonaut Oleg Artemyev was taken off SpaceX's Crew 12 mission to the International Space Station after violating ITAR regulations, according to the Russian publication The Insider.

Trump pick for NASA chief Jared Isaacman pledges to move space shuttle Discovery to Houston, lawmaker says
By Mike Wall published
Jared Isaacman, President Trump's pick to lead NASA, is on board with moving the space shuttle Discovery to Houston, according to one of the senators behind the controversial plan.

SpaceX launches 60th mission of the year from California (video)
By Mike Wall published
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched 27 Starlink internet satellites early Tuesday morning (Dec. 2). It was the company's 60th liftoff of 2025 from the Golden State.

Europe's Vega C rocket launches advanced Korean Earth-observation satellite to orbit (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
Europe's Vega C rocket launched for the sixth time ever today (Dec. 1), sending South Korea's powerful KOMPSAT-7 Earth-observation satellite to orbit.

Watch NASA astronaut, 2 cosmonauts launch to the International Space Station on Thanksgiving morning
By Mike Wall published
NASA's Chris Williams and two cosmonaut colleagues will launch to the International Space Station early on Thanksgiving Day (Nov. 27), and you can watch the action live.

South Korea launches Earth-observation satellite on homegrown Nuri rocket
By Mike Wall published
South Korea lofted the CAS500-3 Earth-observation satellite and a dozen ride-along cubesats Wednesday (Nov. 26) on the fourth-ever launch of its Nuri rocket.

Trump administration targets former NASA astronaut Mark Kelly over 'illegal orders' video
By Mike Wall published
Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), a former NASA astronaut, is under investigation for his participation in a short video reminding members of the U.S. military not to obey illegal orders.

Watch China's Shenzhou 22 rescue ship arrive at Tiangong space station (video)
By Mike Wall published
China's uncrewed Shenzhou 22 spacecraft arrived at the Tiangong space station early Tuesday morning (Nov. 25), giving the three astronauts living there a safe way to get home.

China launches uncrewed Shenzhou capsule for 3 astronauts stuck on Tiangong space station (video)
By Mike Wall published
China launched its Shenzhou 22 mission tonight (Nov. 24), sending up an uncrewed spacecraft to be the ride home for the three astronauts currently living on the Tiangong space station.

'We were genuinely astonished': This moss survived 9 months outside the International Space Station and could still grow on Earth
By Mike Wall published
"This study demonstrates the astonishing resilience of life that originated on Earth."

Rocket Lab launches mystery satellite for 'confidential commercial customer' (video)
By Mike Wall published
Rocket Lab launched a satellite for a "confidential commercial customer" on Thursday morning (Nov. 20), just a few hours after giving notice of the impending liftoff.

SpaceX launches the 100th mission of the year from Florida's Space Coast (video)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX launched 29 of its Starlink internet satellites tonight (Nov. 20), on the 100th mission of the year to take off from Florida's Space Coast.

Rocket returned, lightly used: Why Blue Origin's landed New Glenn booster is so clean
By Mike Wall published
Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket remained strikingly clean and white after two trips through Earth's atmosphere last week. Here's why the booster stayed largely char-free.
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