![Elizabeth Howell](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/RU2kJRoTDQkePFeSZBNxHF.jpg)
Elizabeth Howell
Elizabeth Howell (she/her), Ph.D., is a staff writer in the spaceflight channel since 2022 covering diversity, education and gaming as well. She was contributing writer for Space.com for 10 years before joining full-time. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House and Office of the Vice-President of the United States, an exclusive conversation with aspiring space tourist (and NSYNC bassist) Lance Bass, speaking several times with the International Space Station, witnessing five human spaceflight launches on two continents, flying parabolic, working inside a spacesuit, and participating in a simulated Mars mission. Her latest book, "Why Am I Taller?", is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams. Elizabeth holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Space Studies from the University of North Dakota, a Bachelor of Journalism from Canada's Carleton University and a Bachelor of History from Canada's Athabasca University. Elizabeth is also a post-secondary instructor in communications and science at several institutions since 2015; her experience includes developing and teaching an astronomy course at Canada's Algonquin College (with Indigenous content as well) to more than 1,000 students since 2020. Elizabeth first got interested in space after watching the movie Apollo 13 in 1996, and still wants to be an astronaut someday. Mastodon: https://qoto.org/@howellspace
Latest articles by Elizabeth Howell
![a large white cylinder is held vertical inside a warehouse building with hardhat-wearing folk standing about.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qxUJLb69aQhqsFnMoGsvrT-320-80.jpg)
Watch NASA build Artemis 2 astronaut moon rocket boosters ahead of 2024 launch (video)
By Elizabeth Howell published
A new video shows the Artemis 2 moon mission's boosters under assembly. The solid rocket boosters are being made at NASA's Kennedy Space Center ahead of the 2024 launch with four astronauts.
![an astronaut smiles in a white spacesuit bearing the red and white flag of Denmark](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/mgeVwtssBbPamYDB8DY5f5-320-80.jpg)
Happy birthday Andreas Mogensen! International Space Station astronaut celebrates in space
By Elizabeth Howell published
Danish astronaut Andreas Mogensen marked his birthday on the International Space Station Nov. 2 by flying his country's flag and enjoying sunny weather.
![A field of distant galaxies captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UqKrHFjGaYQ3Fi9rACt6S9-320-80.jpg)
James Webb Space Telescope reveals distances of nearly 200 deep-space galaxies
By Elizabeth Howell published
We now know how far away some galaxies are in the iconic "deep field" image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope. A Canadian instrument is revealing more about how the universe changed over time.
![a woman wearing a sash that says 'miss england' sits inside a spaceship looking up at buttons smiling](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tFARcMUvc3LQ8UZUpQYWyR-320-80.jpg)
Miss England 'flies' Boeing Starliner spaceship at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
By Elizabeth Howell published
Jessica Gagan, Miss England 2023, toured Boeing facilities at NASA's Kennedy Space Center and flew their Starliner simulator. The aerospace engineer is promoting STEM education during her U.S. tour.
![Artist's depiction of a star system that is crowded with giant planets.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yJok8fp3DGwyqxVnX6FuoR-320-80.jpg)
Bullying Jupiter-like planets may push 'alien Earths' away from life-friendly orbits
By Elizabeth Howell published
Planets like Earth shouldn't get too close to their bigger, bullying neighbors. Jupiter-size worlds can wreck life-friendly conditions on their smaller neighbors.
![a rocket stands at a launchpad in front of a blue sky with majestic clouds](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2vRY7WfMH2hWWB4PqNUuh6-320-80.jpg)
SpaceX, NASA delay CRS-29 cargo launch to International Space Station
By Elizabeth Howell published
NASA and SpaceX have delayed the next Dragon cargo spacecraft launch to the International Space Station by two days, to Nov. 7 for extra preparations.
![back end of a spacecraft with engine and solar panels in deep space. behind is the half-illuminated moon](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ADEuE5G4LynjRqTbjYJmwg-320-80.jpg)
New water system that could aid Artemis moon astronauts gets a test on the ISS
By Elizabeth Howell published
A small, efficient water dispenser that could aid NASA's Artemis moon program is getting a test on the International Space Station.
![an image of four astronauts in costumes at the front. the background shows a blurry image of the international space station](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/tjqwsrJKtQFG3UE8gYTeJS-320-80.png)
International Space Station astronauts show off creative outfits for Halloween
By Elizabeth Howell published
Astronauts on the International Space Station got all dressed up for Halloween Oct. 31. More costume changes are coming Nov. 1, with an all-woman spacewalk on deck.
![an astronaut smiles for a portrait in an orange spacesuit](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/BFYfeY8DrYHGGCfLmXyCT6-320-80.jpg)
Artemis 2 moon astronaut says crew is ready for ambitious 2024 mission
By Elizabeth Howell published
Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen will first reach space on the Artemis 2 moon mission. Space, he says, feels more real by the day – and there's a big community helping him with the journey.
![a rocket lifts off above a cloud of smoke](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KTuKuivFeZjScDV4ijvxph-320-80.jpg)
'Too early' to say which astronaut will command UK Space Agency mission with Axiom Space
By Elizabeth Howell published
The UK Space Agency says it cannot speculate yet on who will command its debut mission with Axiom Space. British astronaut Tim Peake was rumored as commander.
![water splashes and froths at the base of a large metal tower](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MATQ7ePYegiixohWMEg7W9-320-80.jpg)
Watch NASA's Artemis 2 mobile rocket launcher get soaked during water deluge test (video)
By Elizabeth Howell published
NASA conducted a water deluge test Oct. 24 to evaluate how well its water system will protect its hardware and astronauts during the launch of the round-the-moon Artemis 2 mission in 2024.
![the international space station shoots a laser toward a satellite, which is relaying it back down to earth](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jJtPQFXfuLghmULjWLmKge-320-80.jpg)
Groundbreaking laser communications experiment flying to ISS on SpaceX cargo mission on Nov. 5
By Elizabeth Howell published
On Nov. 5, SpaceX will send a clutch of science experiments to the space station investigating a range of topics, from high-speed laser communications, to rolling atmospheric waves on Earth.
![The Orion spacecraft for the moon mission Artemis 2 comes together at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Technicians joined the European service module with the crew module at the Neil Armstrong Operations & Checkout Building Oct. 19.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ANKRZwfUWaq2SMoLK6vPDh-320-80.jpg)
Artemis 2 Orion spacecraft comes together ahead of 2024 moon mission (photos)
By Elizabeth Howell published
Sections of the Orion spacecraft tasked with flying four astronauts around the moon during the Artemis 2 mission have been joined together. The mission is set for no earlier than late 2024.
![Declassified Corona spy satellite images showing Roman forts at three sites in the eastern Mediterranean: (a) Sura, a Roman fortress city nearby the Parthian territories (now in modern-day Iraq); (b) Resafa, a site near the Roman-Persian border (now in modern-day Syria) and (c) Ain Sinu, a zone alternately claimed by the Romans, the Parthians and the Sasanians (now in modern-day Iraq) .](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/h2DTAPnmLeNJmprLr7ScKa-320-80.png)
Declassified spy satellite images reveal 400 Roman Empire forts in the Middle East
By Elizabeth Howell published
'Intensive fort construction' took place at the borders of Rome's reach.
![A futuristic interior of a vehicle is shown with black floors and white seats. In the spacious back sits Campos, a manikin in an orange Artemis flight suit. Campos flew aboard the Orion spacecraft during the Artemis I mission in order to collect important data that will prepare astronauts for future Artemis missions.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kHdnivshcwfQWuA7LQTZde-320-80.jpg)
NASA's Artemis moon astronauts will ride to the launch pad in these sleek electric cars (photos)
By Elizabeth Howell published
NASA and electric car maker Canoo revealed the interior of the vehicle that will ferry Artemis moon astronauts to the launch pad.
![a cosmonaut in an eva suit floats outside the space station near a soyuz vehicle, feet secured to an extended mechanical arm. Russian spacewalker Oleg Kononenko (suit with red stripes) works outside the International Space Station on Dec. 11, 2018. He was inspecting and gathering samples from the Soyuz MS-09 spacecraft following a small pressure leak; the leak had already been sealed from the inside shortly after it was detected.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/KgVJFFCRzJ496LyHzBVgSA-320-80.jpg)
Cosmonauts will hunt for source of ISS leak during a spacewalk today. Watch it live
By Elizabeth Howell published
Two Russian cosmonauts will go outside the International Space Station today (Oct. 25) to investigate the source of a coolant leak that sprang up on Oct. 9. You can watch the webcast live.
![Sirius shining amongst a background of stars above a body of water.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4XEiSBgmwmU9gFduqRp6BS-320-80.jpg)
Sirius: The brightest star in Earth's night sky
By Elizabeth Howell, Ailsa Harvey last updated
Reference Sirius has been the shiniest star in the sky for a long, long time.
![Artist's conception of a capsule from Varda Space Industries re-entering the atmosphere.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Ze8CrV5HjbwoDGZKkjpv2k-320-80.png)
In-space manufacturing company Varda plans to land its reentry capsules in Australia: report
By Elizabeth Howell published
Varda Space Industries plans to land future missions in Australia as soon as 2024, a report indicates. Varda's first mission with SpaceX is still awaiting approval for its planned landing in Utah.
![Reid Wiseman and Jeremy Hansen pose for a photo on the grid prior to the F1 Grand Prix of United States at Circuit of The Americas on October 22, 2023 in Austin, Texas.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/4NcFAZnwvrRcjLWP4pNrQ6-320-80.jpg)
Artemis 2 moon astronauts meet car racing teams at Formula 1
By Elizabeth Howell published
Artemis 2 moon astronauts took in a big car racing event in Texas on Oct. 22. NASA's Reid Wiseman and Canada's Jeremy Hansen appeared on the grid at the F1 Grand Prix.
![illustration of a girl sewing near an image of the space shuttle](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kTeqEBZoLRYo6q7i8EFAmh-320-80.jpg)
'Sew Sister' Jean Wright shares her NASA space shuttle experience with new book
By Elizabeth Howell published
Jean Wright used to sew critical hardware for NASA's space shuttle program. A new book by Elise Matich celebrates the "Sew Sister" team that brought astronauts into space.
![astronaut kneeling on the lunar surface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DVEtr9vCydjYEWwrGZpyKo-320-80.jpg)
NASA's Artemis moon astronauts may wear electric field spacesuits to fight pesky lunar dust
By Elizabeth Howell published
NASA wants to put astronauts on the moon again in the 2020s, and lunar dust is expected to pose a major issue. An electric field spacesuit project received a big grant to find a solution.
![An industrial construct stands amidst a green forest with smoke billowing out into a plumeA full duration test of the RS-25 certification engine was conducted at NASA's Stennis Space Center on October 17, 2023.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6mNh3MEovWXvioV8QL8ZxW-320-80.jpg)
NASA tests new kind of Artemis moon-rocket engine in dramatic 'hot fire' test (video)
By Elizabeth Howell published
The 550-second test was only the first of 12.
![The planet Earth on April 17, 2019. The Earth Polychromatic Imaging Camera (EPIC), a NASA camera aboard NOAA’s DSCOVR spacecraft, returns daily images of Earth from a distance of nearly 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers). This animation shows the entire rotation of the planet on that day.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/DSYK668ZhytjZ9kbkp5D6j-320-80.gif)
How fast is Earth moving?
By Elizabeth Howell, Doris Elin Urrutia last updated
Earth moves around the sun and across the universe on its axis and at an incredible rate.
![Artist's impression of the Radarsat Constellation Mission managed by the Canadian Space Agency and MDA.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k3hqBMa5d5jLJoDhTDNagD-320-80.jpg)
Canada to launch new satellites to monitor climate change, gather military data
By Elizabeth Howell published
The Canadian government promises it will get new satellites into space soon to extend its famous Radarsat series for Canada's Earth observation needs, climate change and Arctic military surveillance.