
Hanneke Weitering
Hanneke Weitering is an editor at Liv Science's sister site Space.com with 10 years of experience in science journalism. She has previously written for Scholastic Classroom Magazines, MedPage Today and The Joint Institute for Computational Sciences at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. After studying physics at the University of Tennessee in her hometown of Knoxville, she earned her graduate degree in Science, Health and Environmental Reporting (SHERP) from New York University. Hanneke joined the Space.com team in 2016 as a staff writer and producer, covering topics including spaceflight and astronomy.
Latest articles by Hanneke Weitering

Why doesn’t the autumnal equinox fall on the same day each year?
By Hanneke Weitering published
The day of this year's equinox may not be the same as last year's. Why?

Blue Origin launches William Shatner and crew of 3 to the final frontier and back
By Hanneke Weitering published
William Shatner has boldly gone where no 90-year-old has ever gone before with a Blue Origin launch into space on New Shepard.

Blue Origin will launch William Shatner into space today! Here's how to watch it live.
By Hanneke Weitering published
William Shatner and three other passengers will launch into space today (Oct. 13) on the second crewed flight of Blue Origin's New Shepard rocket, and you can watch all the action live online.

'Red light' warning flashed during Richard Branson's historic spaceflight, Virgin Galactic insiders say
By Hanneke Weitering published
It may not have gone as smoothly as we thought.

China's 1st Mars rover 'Zhurong' lands on the Red Planet
By Hanneke Weitering published
China just successfully landed its first rover on Mars, becoming only the second nation to do so.

Debris from SpaceX rocket launch falls on farm in central Washington
By Hanneke Weitering published
A piece of debris from a SpaceX launch has turned up on someone's farm in central Washington, local authorities reported Friday (April 2).

Elon Musk says SpaceX's 1st Starship trip to Mars could fly in 4 years
By Hanneke Weitering published
SpaceX is on track to launch its first Mars mission in as little as four years from now, SpaceX's founder and CEO Elon Musk said Friday (Oct. 16) at the International Mars Society Convention.

Elon Musk 'overcome with emotion' after SpaceX's 1st astronaut launch
By Hanneke Weitering published
SpaceX founder Elon Musk was choked up with emotion after his company successfully launched astronauts to space for the first time on Saturday (May 30).

How SpaceX's Crew Dragon Demo-2 mission will work in 13 steps
By Hanneke Weitering published
Here's a step-by-step explainer of what will happen during SpaceX's first Crew Dragon mission with astronauts, from prelaunch preparations to splashdown.

Annie Glenn, widow of 1st American astronaut in orbit John Glenn, dies at 100
By Hanneke Weitering published
Annie Glenn, widow of the late NASA astronaut and U.S. Senator John Glenn — the first American to orbit the Earth — has passed away at the age of 100, NASA announced yesterday.

Astronomers discover closest black hole to Earth. And you can 'see' it.
By Hanneke Weitering published
A newfound black hole may be the closest black hole to Earth, and you can spot its cosmic home in the night sky without a telescope.

South Dakota: Latest updates on coronavirus
By Hanneke Weitering published
Here's an update on the coronavirus case counts in South Dakota and the latest news on the COVID-19 outbreak.

See the bright 'evening star' Venus swing by the crescent moon tonight
By Hanneke Weitering published
After a close encounter with the moon on Sunday (April 26), Venus will be at its greatest brightness of the year on Tuesday (April 28).

Coronavirus pandemic's global impact seen from space in chilling satellite images
By Hanneke Weitering published
The global response to the novel coronavirus pandemic is so intense that it's visible from space.

Giant 'potentially hazardous' asteroid will fly safely by Earth in April
By Hanneke Weitering published
A large and "potentially hazardous" asteroid is poised to fly by Earth next month, but don't worry — it poses no threat to Earth.

Rare Mercury Transit, the Last Until 2032, Thrills Skywatchers Around the World
By Hanneke Weitering, Elizabeth Howell published
The tiny planet Mercury scooted across the sun's face today (Nov. 11) for the last time until 2032, and skywatchers around the world had the chance to witness the rare celestial event.

Colliding Galaxies Form Piercing Eyes of 'Ghost Face’ in New Hubble Telescope Image
By Hanneke Weitering published
A ghastly face with glowing eyes glares in deep space in a new image from the Hubble Space Telescope.

The 1st Human on Mars May Be a Woman, NASA Chief Says
By Hanneke Weitering published
It won't be long before we see the first woman on Mars, and she just might beat the first man there, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said Friday (Oct. 18).

The 1st All-Female Spacewalk Is Back On, After Medium-Size Spacesuits Acquired
By Hanneke Weitering published
NASA is gearing up for a marathon of spacewalks, and one of them could be the first spacewalk to be conducted entirely by women.

India Loses Contact with Lunar Lander During Historic Mission
By Meghan Bartels, Hanneke Weitering published
India's daring moon mission, Chandrayaan-2, lost contact just above the lunar surface, dashing Indian dreams of becoming just the fourth country to successfully land on the moon.

Photos: Hurricane Dorian Rages in Pics from Space
By Hanneke Weitering published
As Hurricane Dorian pummels the Caribbean and the U.S. East Coast, NASA satellites and space station astronauts are keeping an eye on the epic storm from space.

New US Space Command Will Launch Next Week, VP Pence Says
By Hanneke Weitering published
The United States Space Command will officially be up and running by the end of the month, Vice President Mike Pence said today (Aug. 20) at a meeting of the National Space Council.

China Aces Its 1st Rocket Launch at Sea, Puts 7 Satellites in Orbit
By Hanneke Weitering published
Watch the rocket soar above the Yellow Sea!
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