Latest articles by Leonard David
Scientists call for a secure lunar quarantine facility for extraterrestrial samples: 'The moon may become humanity's first line of biological defense'
Scientists propose that a moon base could act as an isolated first line of biological defense against extraterrestrial samples that might be harmful to Earth's biosphere.
Will SpaceX still be a launch company after its historic IPO?
What does SpaceX's coming IPO mean for the company, investors and markets in general?
Watch this bio-inspired Mars rover concept 'swim' through sand on curved wheels (video)
The sandfish locomotion idea has been adopted from Scincus scincus, a lizard found in the Sahara desert.
Companies like SpaceX want electromagnetic catapults on the moon. Could they be used as weapons?
A new report stresses the strategic and security implications of placing mass drivers on the moon by arguing that these launchers could serve as valuable first strike weapons systems.
China shakes up its space programs to land astronauts on the moon by 2030: 'We will spare no effort'
China is melding its robotic Chang'e lunar probe activities with the country's human spaceflight program in an effort to land astronauts on the moon by 2030.
The UFO files: What did we learn from the Pentagon's 1st big release?
On May 8, the Pentagon released its first tranche of "UFO files." Space.com reached out to experts to make sense of this highly anticipated data drop.
Lasers shine a new light on the space junk air pollution problem
Scientists are using a new technique to study incoming space debris and its effects on Earth's atmosphere.
NASA's Artemis 2 astronauts saw flashes on the far side of the moon that cameras struggle to capture. Here's why scientists are excited
The Artemis 2 astronauts saw several impact flashes on the moon during their epic April 6 flyby, observations that have excited scientists and mission planners alike.
Should Saturn's huge moon Titan be humanity's next destination, after the moon and Mars?
Next month, a first-of-its-kind gathering will blueprint an eventual crewed trek to tantalizing Titan, the largest of Saturn's many moons.
'This is going to be what makes the Earth secure.' How one California company plans to protect us from dangerous asteroids
Exploration Labs has proposed the first commercial deep space ride share mission, known as Apophis EX, to rendezvous with potentially hazardous asteroid Apophis.
SpaceX rocket debris could slam into the moon: Here's what you need to know
Earth's moon is to be on the receiving end of a spent rocket stage in early August - the leftovers from a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch last year.
Could the moon ever be blockaded? Experts predict cislunar space could be the next Strait of Hormuz
The ongoing military conflict regarding Iran and the Strait of Hormuz may well mirror a future situation off-Earth — the use of cislunar space, the region between the moon and our planet.
NASA wants to use a fleet of MoonFall drones to scout the lunar south pole: 'We believe we can do it'
NASA is exploring ways to use a fleet of drones to explore the lunar south pole with an ambitious new MoonFall project.
Making contact with ET? Aliens may already know we're here
Earth is dotted with many humongous, human-made structures. To an alien eye, they may be tell-tale signs of intelligent goings-on, betraying our existence and hinting at our capabilities.
NASA's Curiosity rover finds building blocks of life on Mars. Scientists aren't sure how they got there
NASA's Curiosity rover has found a diverse mix of organic molecules on Mars, including chemicals considered building blocks for the origin of life on Earth.
Max Space unveils new expandable space habitat for the moon and beyond: 'We need real estate that is scalable'
"They are truly ready for long duration space flights and lunar habitation."
The moon up close: How the Artemis 2 astronauts are photographing their historic lunar flyby
The Artemis 2 astronauts might be the first humans to survey certain areas of the moon's far side, and they're chronicling their historic journey in detail.
Disclosure day: If ET made contact, how would we handle the news?
How would people react if an alien civilization actually made contact with us? Space.com talked to experts, who shared a variety of opinions about a possible real-life "disclosure day."
What will happen if Artemis 2 astronauts get hit by a solar storm during NASA's ambitious moon mission?
"If an event is particularly bad, there are some places in the capsule, such as storage bays and down by the toilet, that the crew can go to."
Could bad space weather endanger the Artemis 2 moon astronauts?
Space weather experts have been working overtime to hone their forecasts ahead of the Artemis 2 launch, which will send four astronauts around the moon and back to Earth.
Where are all the aliens? Maybe they just don't want to talk to us
A civilization capable of interstellar travel may also be one that has moved beyond conquest, excess and ecological self-destruction — and it therefore may not want to talk to us.
Arizona's Meteor Crater is still revealing new secrets 50,000 years later
Arizona's Meteor Crater remains 'the perfect natural laboratory' for studying what happens when meteors strike Earth, scientists say.
US lawmakers call for a permanent moon base. Will it ever happen?
The impetus for establishing a "Lunar Surface Moon Base" is that America is in a space race with China.
Russia fixes launch pad damaged by Thanksgiving astronaut launch to the International Space Station
Russia has fixed Site 31 at Baikonur Cosmodrome, the only pad supporting the nation's human spaceflight missions. It had been out of commission since late November.
'Some of the cracks had penetrated through': Chinese astronauts reveal new details about spacecraft that 'stranded' them in space last year
Crew members of China's Shenzhou-20 mission recently detailed their reactions upon finding cracks in their spacecraft's viewport during the nation's first spaceflight emergency.