![Mike Wall](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ko9uBeoLfpGrWgq3eDjap3.jpg)
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
![A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches 22 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Feb. 15, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gFEVCEFb5vWzECeDKZLuRC-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites on 3rd leg of spaceflight tripleheader (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 22 Starlink internet satellites on Thursday (Feb. 15), the third mission in less than 24 hours for the company.
![a white rocket flies through the air in a perfectly blue sky](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gq7C7jWvBZoQKKrighaZeQ-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches classified USSF-124 satellites on secret Valentine's Day mission for US Space Force (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched the classified USSF-124 missile defense mission for the U.S. Space Force today (Feb. 14), recovering the Falcon 9 booster for the company's 272nd landing of an orbital rocket.
![SpaceX's third Starship megarocket stands stacked on the launch pad at its Starbase site in South Texas. SpaceX released this photo on Feb. 13, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RGBcs5HwcjKiTGojSFNZiW-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX stacks giant Starship rocket ahead of 3rd test flight (video, photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX recently stacked the two stages of its huge Starship rocket to prep for the vehicle's third-ever liftoff, which may be just a few weeks away.
![A giant rocket lifts off at sunrise with its fins and booster in silhouette](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/nmigT8TucEfshzw2GgCazg-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX could launch Starship again 'in about 3 weeks,' Elon Musk says
By Mike Wall published
The third test flight of SpaceX's Starship megarocket will take place roughly three weeks from now, according to company founder and CEO Elon Musk.
![a very tall, silver rocket rolls along on a truck on a road next to the ocean](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vcybikyBxziFNAgUT6huiZ-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX rolls giant Starship rocket to launch pad ahead of 3rd test flight (photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX rolled the two stages of its latest Starship rocket to the launch pad over the weekend, then stacked them to prep for a coming test flight.
![A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink satellites lifts off from Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Q9c9SimZehFB6XRxs36yZm-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches 22 Starlink satellites into orbit from California (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
SpaceX launched 22 more of its Starlink internet satellites on Friday (Feb. 9) at 7:34 p.m. EST (0034 GMT on Feb. 10).
![A SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the Ax-3 astronauts is recovered from the Atlantic Ocean after splashdown on Feb. 9, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8ZB37g7SFXgtnNh8KpaNGH-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX Dragon carrying Ax-3 astronauts splashes down in Atlantic to end longest private spaceflight for Axiom Space
By Mike Wall last updated
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule carrying four astronauts splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean early Friday (Feb. 9), wrapping up a record-setting private trip to the International Space Station.
![illustration of a person in a white spacesuit leaving a white space capsule to go on a spacewalk, with the curve of earth in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/f4t2Yu9pK4YDiNtb6smajb-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX's private Polaris Dawn orbital mission delayed to summer 2024
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, which aims to pull off the first-ever private spacewalk, will now launch no earlier than this summer.
![11 people in flight suits wave to the camera aboard the white-walled international space station.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2gYmLvaF2qo39heuSfU4gb-320-80.jpg)
20 people in space! Humanity quietly tied a record last month
By Mike Wall published
For a few minutes on Jan. 26, 20 people were in space at the same time, tying a record set just last May.
![SpaceX's Starship vehicle during its second-ever test flight, on Nov. 18, 2023, in footage released by NASA.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qcifoPazacq3WJGJcHpPN5-320-80.jpg)
Relive SpaceX Starship's epic 2nd test flight in newly released NASA footage (video)
By Mike Wall published
Newly released NASA footage shows the second test flight of SpaceX's giant Starship rocket in dramatic detail.
![A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches NASA's PACE Earth ocean satellite into orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida on Feb. 8, 2024.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2hcfdWJtmnJAyjcQEBqLQS-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX launches NASA's PACE satellite to study Earth's oceans, air and climate (video)
By Mike Wall published
NASA's PACE ocean-monitoring satellite, which the Trump administration tried to cancel four times, launched to orbit today (Feb. 8) atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
![closeup of crew dragon departing the space station](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/dB8NssMGhzZJETH2LQh6QN-320-80.png)
Ax-3 astronauts depart ISS in SpaceX Dragon capsule for splashdown on Feb. 9 (video)
By Mike Wall last updated
The four astronauts of the private Ax-3 mission departed the International Space Station in their SpaceX Dragon capsule on Feb. 7, following days of weather delays.
![artist's illustration of a silver and gold spacecraft in earth orbit, with the blackness of space in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KyA2DJV2rCkEHVp2ZZKfn9-320-80.jpg)
Big, dead European satellite will crash back to Earth this month
By Mike Wall published
The European Space Agency's defunct ERS-2 spacecraft will fall into Earth's atmosphere in a week or so, in a death dive that its handlers will monitor carefully.
![a handful of white and tan buildings, one with a large blue nasa logo, sit in the foothills of mountains.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/EAmcWUK2dXjUwTgyJuffCg-320-80.jpg)
NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab laying off 8% of its workforce
By Mike Wall published
Budgetary issues have forced the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA's chief center for robotic planetary exploration, to reduce its workforce by about 8%.
![a silver and told spacecraft is seen inside the two black halves of its rocket's payload fairing in a large, white-walled room](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/c88mBLECUFNQQVMfCMLErb-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX targeting Feb. 14 for launch of Intuitive Machines IM-1 private moon mission
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX is targeting Feb. 14 for the launch of Intuitive Machine's IM-1 mission, which aims to become the first private effort to soft-land on the moon.
![a smiling man in a white spacesuit waves, with several people behind him.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/QEjNxPaawc43Mjqv3gnH73-320-80.jpg)
879 days! Russian cosmonaut breaks record for total time spent in space
By Mike Wall published
Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko has now racked up more than 879 days in space, breaking the record for most time spent off Earth.
![a large white conical payload fairing with logos reading "nasa" and "pace" sits in a white-walled room](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ptL3TcLHgYFRiFojHcMBM7-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX to launch NASA's PACE ocean-monitoring satellite this week
By Mike Wall published
NASA's PACE satellite, which will help scientists gauge the health of oceans around the world, is set to launch atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket early on Feb. 7.
![photo looking up at four huge stainless-steel cylinders inside an open-air high bay.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/xuQRgNniy6yjUpYrwsuHme-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX shows off Super Heavy boosters 'for the next 3' Starship flights (photos)
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX just shared photos of the "megabay" at its Stabase site in South Texas, which is jam-packed with Starship Super Heavy boosters.
![four smiling people — three men and one woman — in blue flight suits stand in front of an image of earth at night, captured from low earth orbit.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GopVNQq7KA3umFg2DVfcxg-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX, NASA targeting Feb. 22 for launch of Crew-8 astronaut mission
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX and NASA are targeting Feb. 22 for the launch of Crew-8, the company's eighth operational astronaut mission to the International Space Station.
![A screenshot shows the Cygnus docking at the ISS on Thurs morning (Feb. 10 with the station's robot arm in view](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ogoy9HkrALv3yc7rye3ptH-320-80.png)
Private Cygnus cargo ship arrives at the ISS carrying 8,200 pounds of supplies
By Mike Wall last updated
Northrop Grumman's robotic Cygnus spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station early Thursday morning (Feb. 1) captured by the space station's robotic arm.
![four smiling people in blue flight suits stand in front of a dark gray-brown background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3pzqSLgSRjnHYLptVM6cAE-320-80.jpg)
NASA names astronauts for SpaceX's Crew-9 mission to the ISS
By Mike Wall published
NASA has named the four astronauts who will fly to the International Space Station on SpaceX's Crew-9 mission, which will lift off no earlier than August.
![artist's illustration of a small robotic lander on the surface of the moon, with earth visible in the background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JfK3j9qJa3Xe5xnD3cniY7-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX gearing up to launch Intuitive Machines private moon lander in February
By Mike Wall published
SpaceX and Intuitive Machines are making progress toward the launch of the Nova-C moon lander, which is slated to occur about two weeks from now.
![a space station floats above Earth. one end is a round white cylinder; the other is a cross-shaped arrangement of solar panels](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yFigMcS6So9mZzudSv3EiD-320-80.png)
SpaceX's Starship to launch 'Starlab' private space station in late 2020s
By Mike Wall published
The team behind Starlab has selected SpaceX's giant Starship rocket to launch the private space station in 2028 or thereabouts.