Tariq Malik

Tariq Malik

Space.com Editor-in-chief

Tariq is the editor-in-chief of Live Science's sister site Space.com. He joined the team in 2001 as a staff writer, and later editor, focusing on human spaceflight, exploration and space science. Before joining Space.com, Tariq was a staff reporter for The Los Angeles Times, covering education and city beats in La Habra, Fullerton and Huntington Beach. He is also an Eagle Scout (yes, he has the Space Exploration merit badge) and went to Space Camp four times. He has journalism degrees from the University of Southern California and New York University.

Articles by: Tariq Malik

A wider view from WorldView-3 of pro-Iranian protests at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq on Jan. 1, 2019.

Satellite Spots Iraqi Protests at US Embassy from Space (Photos)

By Tariq Malik published

A Maxar Technologies satellite in orbit has spotted the protests at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq, showing views of the New Year's Day demonstration from above.

A U.S. Air Force X-37B space plane, an unpiloted miniature space shuttle, is seen after landing at NASA's Kennedy Space Center Shuttle Landing Facility on Oct. 27, 2019 to end its record 780-day OTV-5 mission.

US Air Force's X-37B Space Plane Lands After Record 780-Day Mystery Mission

By Tariq Malik published

What was it doing up there?

Virgin Galactic's Sir Richard Branson models the new line of "spacewear" created in partnership with Under Armour.

Virgin Galactic Unveils New Line of Under Armour 'Spacewear' for Space Tourists

By Tariq Malik published

Virgin Galactic and partner Under Armour unveiled a new line of "spacewear" spacesuits for future passengers on SpaceShipTwo.

A meteor lights up the midnight sky over the northeastern China provinces of Jilin and Heilongjiang in this dashcam and surveillance camera video views taken on Oct. 11, 2019.

Brilliant Midnight Fireball Lights Up Sky Over Northeast China

By Tariq Malik published

What appears to be a dazzling meteor lit up the sky over northeast China on Friday (Oct. 11), appearing as a brilliant fireball in surveillance video of the event.

An aerial view of SpaceX's Starship Mk1 prototype, seen during Elon Musk's Starship update in South Texas on Sept. 28, 2019.

Elon Musk Unveils SpaceX's New Starship Plans for Private Trips to the Moon, Mars and Beyond

By Tariq Malik published

Elon Musk has a Starship, and one day he expects it will help SpaceX reach other worlds.

Scientists used NASA's TESS space telescope to spot a star being shredded by a supermassive black hole. This artist’s conception depicts the star being torn apart into a thin stream of gas that is pulled around the black hole before crashing back into the star, kicking off more material.

Gargantuan Black Hole Shreds Star in Rare Cosmic 'Crime Scene'

By Tariq Malik published

Scientists have spotted what may be the best example yet of a star being ripped to shreds by a massive black hole. Here's what they found.

A Russian Soyuz MS-14 carrying the humanoid Skybot F-850 robot and other gear is seen in this view from an International Space Station camera just after undocking on Sept. 6, 2019. The spacecraft landed in Kazakhstan later that day.

Unpiloted Russian Soyuz Capsule Returns to Earth with Humanoid on Board

By Tariq Malik published

An uncrewed Russian Soyuz returned to Earth Friday (Sept. 6), bring a humanoid robot home to wrap up first-of-its-kind test flight to the International Space Station.

hurricane dorian weather satellite infrared reveals it as a category 5 storm on sept. 1

Hurricane Dorian a Catastrophic Category 5 Storm. And It's Getting Stronger.

By Tariq Malik published

Hurricane Dorian is now a "catastrophic Category 5" storm as it approaches the Bahamas in the Caribbean, according to a National Hurricane Center update.

hurricane dorian from space

Astronaut in Space Stares Into the Eye of Hurricane Dorian, a Category 4 Storm

By Tariq Malik published

Hurricane Dorian is now a Category 4 storm. See views of its eye from space by astronauts and satellites.

The uncrewed Russian cargo ship Progress 72 burns up and breaks part in Earth's atmosphere in this photo taken July 29, 2019 by NASA astronaut Nick Hague on the International Space Station.

A Russian Space Cargo Ship Just Fell to Earth. See Its Fiery Demise.

By Tariq Malik published

"It looked like a big firework," astronaut says.

A train of SpaceX Starlink satellites are visible in the night sky in this still from <a href="https://sattrackcam.blogspot.com/2019/05/wowowow-spectacular-view-of-spacex.html">a video captured by satellite tracker Marco Langbroek in Leiden</a>, the Nethe

Here's What SpaceX's Starlink Satellites Look Like in the Night Sky

By Tariq Malik published

'And what a SPECTACULAR view it was! - Marco Langbroek.

These three radar images of hippo-shaped near-Earth asteroid 2003 SD220 were captured between Dec. 15-17, 2018 using NASA's Goldstone antenna, the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico and the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.

Christmas 'Hippo' Asteroid Is Buzzing Earth, Its Closest Flyby in 400 Years

By Tariq Malik published

A small asteroid is flying safely by Earth Saturday (Dec. 22) and according to the folks at NASA, it looks just like the mighty hippo in new radar images.

Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson speaks on stage during the Onward18 Conference in New York City on Oct. 23, 2018.

Fox, 'Cosmos' Producers Investigate Sexual Misconduct Claims Against Host Neil deGrasse Tyson

By Tariq Malik published

The Fox Broadcasting Company and the producers of the science-based series "Cosmos," are investigating host Neil deGrasse Tyson following claims of sexual misconduct by three women.

Active wildfires from the deadly Camp Fire in northern California are visible in this shortwave infrared view from DigitalGlobe's WorldView-3 satellite taken on Nov. 9, 2018.

Scale of California's Deadly Camp Fire Shown in Satellite Photos

By Tariq Malik published

As wildfires continue to burn in California, new satellite photos show the sheer scale of the deadly Camp Fire that has devastated the state's northern town of Paradise.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket launches the AEHF-4 satellite for the U.S. Air Force from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida in the early-morning hours of Oct. 17, 2018.

Jam-Resistant US Military Communications Satellite Lifts Off in Midnight-Hour Launch

By Tariq Malik published

An advanced U.S. military communications satellite soared into space in the midnight hour Wednesday (Oct. 17), lighting up the sky over Florida as it launched into orbit.

NASA has unveiled the first astronaut crews to fly on private spaceships built by SpaceX and Boeing. The astronauts are: (from left to right) Victor Glover, Mike Hopkins, Bob Behnken, Doug Hurley, Nicole Aunapu Mann, Chris Ferguson of Boeing, Eric Boe, Jo

Trump Hails Astronauts That Will Fly on SpaceX and Boeing Spaceships. And Space Force, Too?

By Tariq Malik published

Boeing unveiled a new hypersonic passenger plane concept at the AIAA Aviation Forum 2018 in Atlanta on June 26, 2018. The plane could have military or commercial uses, Boeing says

Boeing's Hypersonic Vision: A Sleek Passenger Plane That Can Hit Mach 5

By Tariq Malik published

Boeing has dreams of a hypersonic passenger plane, and it looks like something straight out of science fiction.

This series of images from NASA's Opportunity rover on Mars shows the effects of a huge dust storm blotting out the sun on the Red Planet in June 2018. At left, the sun appears blindingly bright but darkens as the dust storm intensifies. At the far right,

As Massive Dust Storm Rages on Mars, Opportunity Rover Falls Silent

By Tariq Malik published

NASA's Opportunity rover on Mars did not return a call from Earth late Tuesday (June 12) while battling a massive dust storm that scientists have called "one of the most intense ever observed."

Watch as a camera set up by NASA photographer Bill Ingalls melts in a grass fire after a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on May 22, 2018.

Here's What NASA's 'Toasty' Camera Saw As It Melted After a SpaceX Launch

By Tariq Malik published

NASA photographer Bill Ingalls posted this photo of his melted Canon camera after it was destroyed by a brush fire sparked by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on May 22, 2018. The Falcon 9 launched NASA's twin GRA

This NASA Camera Melted During a SpaceX Rocket Launch, But the Photos Survived!

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX Falcon Heavy boosters

Elon Musk Says SpaceX Will Try to Land a Rocket with a 'Giant Party Balloon'

By Tariq Malik published

From anyone else, it would sound ridiculous: Elon Musk says SpaceX is going to try to land a rocket stage with … wait for it … a "giant party balloon."

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, seen here after the company's successful Falcon Heavy rocket test launch on Feb. 6, 2018, removed SpaceX and Tesla from Facebook on March 23.

Elon Musk Deletes Facebook Pages for SpaceX and Tesla

By Tariq Malik published

SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk has joined the #deletefacebook movement. He's deleted the Facebook pages for both SpaceX and Tesla.

The northern lights shimmer over the Lofoten islands in Norway. A geomagnetic storm may amplify the northern lights on March 14 and 15, 2018.

Solar Storm to Amp Up Earth's Northern Lights Wednesday

By Tariq Malik published

A minor solar storm will reach Earth Wednesday (March 14) and could supercharge the planet's auroras, making them visible from the northernmost parts of the U.S., space weather officials say.

This close-up view from a full Earth image by GOES-16 weather satellite shows the powerful nor'easter bringing snow to the northeastern U.S. on March 7, 2018 at 10:26 a.m. EST (1526 GMT).

Behemoth Snowstorm Watched by Satellites As It Hits US Northeast

By Tariq Malik published

A powerful nor'easter is expected to dump more than a foot of snow in some regions of the U.S. northeast today (March 7) and satellites are tracking the snowstorm from space.

This NASA graphic shows the orbit of asteroid 2018 DV1 in relation to Earth. The asteroid will fly within 70,000 miles (113,000 kilometers) of Earth on March 2, 2018.

A Bus-Size Asteroid Will Whiz by Earth Friday

By Tariq Malik published

A small asteroid will zip safely by Earth on Friday (March 2) and you have a chance to see it as a pinprick of light in the sky in a live webcast.