Leonard David is an award-winning space journalist who has been reporting on space activities for more than 50 years. Currently writing as Space.com's Space Insider Columnist among his other projects, Leonard has authored numerous books on space exploration, Mars missions and more, with his latest being "Moon Rush: The New Space Race" published in 2019 by National Geographic. He also wrote "Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet" released in 2016 by National Geographic. Leonard has served as a correspondent for SpaceNews, Scientific American and Aerospace America for the AIAA. He has received many awards, including the first Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History in 2015 at the AAS Wernher von Braun Memorial Symposium. You can find out Leonard's latest project at his website and on Twitter.
Latest articles by Leonard David

By Leonard David Published
China's Chang'e 6 moon mission is studying landing sites on the lunar far side for accessibility ahead of a planned touchdown attempt this weekend.

By Leonard David Published
The thought of beaming power to an energy-hungry Earth from space has long been studied. It was first proposed over 80 years ago in science fiction.

By Leonard David Published
China's robotic Chang'e 6 sample-return mission to the lunar far side is now in orbit around the moon, gearing up for its landing attempt.

By Leonard David Published
These samples are uniquely important for return to Earth for further study.

By Leonard David Published
NASA and ESA have signed an agreement to team up on the ExoMars rover mission, which aims to launch a life-hunting robot toward the Red Planet in 2028.

By Leonard David Published
The Ingenuity Mars helicopter's flying days may be over, but its influence will be felt far into the future.

By Leonard David Published
The emergence of satellite megaconstellations like SpaceX's Starlink offers great benefits for humanity. But there are also substantial costs, including a growing imposition on astronomy.

By Leonard David Published
A new study calls for "geoconservation" principles applied to space, so that astronauts exploring Mars and other cosmic bodies don't compromise future scientific work.

By Leonard David Published
China reportedly plans to launch its Chang'e 6 sample-return mission toward the moon's mysterious far side on Friday (May 3).

By Leonard David Published
Space.com caught up with ESA Director General Josef Aschbacher recently to talk about Europe's space plans and priorities going forward.

By Leonard David Published
Space.com caught up with Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck recently to talk about the company's ambitious plans for the future, which include a private life-hunting mission to Venus.

By Leonard David Published
"As fantastical as it may sound, astrobiodefense is neither hypothetical nor fictional."

By Leonard David Published
NASA is still studying the performance of the Orion capsule's heat shield during its reentry to Earth's atmosphere at the end of the Artemis 1 moon mission in late 2022.

By Leonard David Published
For the chief leader of the SETI Institute, established to search for and understand life beyond Earth, there's a need to step back and cuddle up to a cup of cosmic reality.

By Leonard David Published
Scientists and engineers are making progress on drilling technology that could access Mars' seemingly vast stores of near-surface water ice.

By Leonard David Published
There's a growing and passionate call for preserving radio silence on the far side of the moon in order to protect the possibility of conducting valuable radio astronomy.

By Leonard David Published
Despite the failure of the first U.S. commercial lunar lander to ever operate in space, Astrobotic is pressing ahead with its next moon, set for 2024.

By Leonard David Published
A giant volcano has been hiding in plain sight for decades in one of Mars' most iconic regions.

By Leonard David Published
A nearly 3-ton leftover tossed overboard from the International Space Station is nearing its plunge toward Earth.

By Leonard David Published
The uncontrolled reentry of the European Space Agency's defunct ERS-2 satellite was a reminder that operators should plan out the safe demise of their spacecraft.

By Leonard David Published
Multiple nations are targeting the moon as an off-Earth destination for long-term human presence. What can they learn from the international research endeavors underway in Antarctica?

By Leonard David Published
The underlying premise of the Accords is promoting 'best practices and norms of responsible behavior' when it comes to lunar exploration. But that's a tall order given the tumult of the times.

By Leonard David Published
A European Space Agency spacecraft is making an uncontrolled nosedive into Earth's atmosphere – with elements of the 2.3-ton spent satellite likely to survive the plunge into purgatory.
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