
Elizabeth Howell
Elizabeth Howell was staff reporter at Space.com between 2022 and 2024 and a regular contributor to Live Science and Space.com between 2012 and 2022. Elizabeth's reporting includes multiple exclusives with the White House, 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?" (ECW Press, 2022) is co-written with astronaut Dave Williams.
Latest articles by Elizabeth Howell

Chinese Space Station May Crash Like NASA's Skylab
By Elizabeth Howell published
The uncontrolled fall to Earth of China's Tiangong-1 space lab may share some similarities with the end of the Skylab space station in 1979; some of Skylab's pieces rained down on rural Australia.

Why Is China's Space Station Falling to Earth in the First Place?
By Elizabeth Howell published
The one-module station is in an uncontrolled fall and will re-enter the atmosphere somewhere underneath the spacecraft's orbit, but nobody knows exactly when or where that will happen.

If the Falling Chinese Space Station Hits You, Is Anyone Liable?
By Elizabeth Howell published
The crashing space lab's orbital path includes the United States and most of the population of the world. On the off chance a piece of Tiangong-1 hits you, here's who is liable.

Yep, the Earth Is Still Round, Neil deGrasse Tyson Says
By Elizabeth Howell published
"Cosmos" host and astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson recently shot down the ideas of anyone out there who still thinks the Earth is flat.

Why the Asteroid Approaching Earth Was Only Spotted 5 Days Ago
By Elizabeth Howell published
NASA didn't spot the asteroid, 2018 CB, that will skim by Earth today until a few days ago. Here's why it snuck under the radar.

Asteroid Skimming Past Earth Today May Loom Larger Than Exploding Russian Meteor
By Elizabeth Howell published

When Will SpaceX Lose Connection with Starman?
By Elizabeth Howell published
SpaceX's star dummy, riding in space inside a cushy Tesla Roadster, could lose contact with Earth any time.

What SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Launch Means for Getting Humans to Mars
By Elizabeth Howell published
The launch is a key stepping-stone in the company's quest to bring colonists to Mars.

Fireball Finds! Meteorite Fragments from Dazzling Michigan Meteor Found on Ice
By Elizabeth Howell published
Meteorite hunters in Michigan found six rocks Thursday (Jan. 18) that likely came from a spectacular fireball that lit up local skies earlier this week.

We May Not Be Alone, Former Pentagon UFO Investigator Says
By Elizabeth Howell published
The former head of a secret government program to investigate UFO sightings told several media outlets that extraterrestrial life may exist.

Navy Pilot Was 'Pretty Weirded Out' by Encounter with Unidentified Object in 2004
By Elizabeth Howell published

Spectacular Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight! How to Watch Online
By Elizabeth Howell published

This Ultrathin Craft Could Soon Envelop and Destroy Space Junk
By Elizabeth Howell published
At least 500,000 pieces of space debris threaten satellites and astronauts, but a California-based company says it has a new approach for taking out the garbage.

Help Make an 'Eclipse Megamovie' Using Your Smartphone
By Elizabeth Howell published
If you want to do some science during the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21 using nothing but your phone, consider contributing to the Eclipse Megamovie project.

Here's What It's Like to Be the Planetary Protection Officer at NASA
By Elizabeth Howell published
John Rummel, a biology professor at East Carolina University, reflects on his experiences as NASA's planetary protection officer, a job that requires a lot of science, but no alien combat.

Future Space Colony? Maybe We Should Look Beyond Mars to Saturn's Titan Moon
By Elizabeth Howell published
Instead of just sending humans on a one-shot mission to look for life on the surface, a new paper envisions a future outpost on Titan that could generate power for years.

Tiny Organisms Turn the Black Sea Turquoise in Amazing NASA Earth Photo
By Elizabeth Howell published
Turquoise swirls in the Black Sea — caused by phytoplankton carried on local water currents — shine brightly in a new image from NASA's Aqua satellite.

We Live in a Cosmic Void, Another Study Confirms
By Elizabeth Howell published
Earth and its parent galaxy, the Milky Way, exist in a cosmic desert — a region of space largely lacking other galaxies, stars and planets.

Earth Faces an Increased Risk of Being Hit by an Asteroid, Astronomers Warn
By Elizabeth Howell published
Large asteroids may be lurking undiscovered within a meteoroid stream whose particles are hitting Earth, and scientists are urging a concentrated search for them.

The Grand Canyon Is Extra Grand in This Stunning Student Photo from Space
By Elizabeth Howell published
One of the world's largest canyons – the United States' Grand Canyon – dominates below wispy clouds in this jaw-dropping view from the International Space Station.
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