Matthew Williams

Matt Williams is a space journalist, science communicator, and author with several published titles and studies. His work is featured in The Ross 248 Project and Interstellar Travel edited by NASA alumni Les Johnson and Ken Roy. He also hosts the podcast series Stories from Space on Patreon. He lives in beautiful British Columbia with his wife and family. For more information, check out his website.

Recent Articles

China Unveils Their Plan for a Crewed Moon Landing

November 04, 2026

Yesterday, on November 3rd, the deputy chief designer of China's crewed space program and chief designer of the lunar exploration program (Wang Xiang) unveiled an official statement detailing its [plans for a crewed mission to the Moon](https://english.spacechina.com/n17212/c4744561/content.html).
Students Test Prototype Landing Pad to Make Lunar Operations Safe

November 03, 2026

This summer, a team of students and researchers at the University of Alabama in Huntsville successfully conducted three rocket-motor firing tests on a prototype lunar landing pad. The tests showed the prototype’s ability to capture and redirect rocket exhaust through an integrated vent system, marking an important milestone in developing landing infrastructure for future Moon base operations.
New Research Resolves the Mystery Behind Van Gogh's The Starry Night

November 02, 2026

The sky in Vincent van Gogh’s The Starry Night (1889) matches, in both observation and shape, the pre-dawn sky over Saint-Rémy around 22 July 1889, when a waning crescent moon, Venus and the Hyades star cluster appeared close together, according to a study published inScientific Reports.
Queen's University Belfast Students Find Neptune's Elusive Trojan Asteroids

October 30, 2026

Astronomers at Queen’s University Belfast have led an international team studying new solar system bodies near Neptune, helping to unravel the mysteries of our solar system’s evolution.
A Brief-ish History of METI. Part II: From Interplanetary to Interstellar

October 29, 2026

The latter half of the 20th century saw a major expansion of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), accompanied by corresponding advances in Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI). A key development was the first interstellar SETI and METI experiments: Project Ozma and the Arecibo Message.
A Brief-ish History of METI. Part I: Early Ideas and Experiments

October 26, 2026

For as long as scientists have conducted SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) experiments, parallel efforts in Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) have also been mounted. In this series, we'll take a look at the major milestones in this field of study.
The Largest Canyon in the Solar System is Still Tectonically Active

October 23, 2026

Scientists at Imperial College London and Columbia University have found that the largest canyon system in the solar system is still active and shaping Mars today, billions of years after it first formed.
Advancing Astronomy at MIT with X-ray Reverberation Mapping

October 22, 2026

Professor Erin Kara of MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research is helping advance our understanding of the most extreme objects in the Universe by analyzing X-ray reverberations and other astrophysical data.
Webb Captures Stars in the Early Stages of Life in a Nearby Stellar Nursery

October 21, 2026

This Webb infrared image, released on October 6th, 2026, shows the star-forming region NGC 7129, about 3,300 light-years from Earth. The central star, LkHα 234, is a young star of 5–8 solar masses whose outflows have cleared a cavity about 3.5 light-years across. On the right side of the region, younger protostars shoot jets of very hot material that create shocks in the surrounding gas.
Scientists Use Ancient Rains to Map the Possible Origin Life on Mars

October 20, 2026

Billions of years ago, rain may have helped shape where the chemistry of life could begin on Mars. A new study maps how formaldehyde, an important prebiotic molecule, may have reached the surface. This map could help guide future missions searching for signs of past life on Mars.
Webb Captures This Golden Galaxy Cluster in All it's Glory

October 19, 2026

The NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month features the brilliant golden galaxies belonging to the MACS J0454.1-0300 galaxy cluster.
New Research Reveals How Long Stays in Space Affects the Human Genome

October 17, 2026

A new study in Science Advances addresses the pressing questions about how long-duration exposure to microgravity affects the human genome.
Scientists Detect Rare Type of Wood Alcohol in Space

October 15, 2026

As part of the ALMA COMPASS Large program, an international research team has detected a rare form of methanol in space for the first time.
New Data from the Juno Spacecraft Reveals that Jupiter's Has a Rippling, Wavy Magnetodisk

October 13, 2026

Using observations from NASA's Juno spacecraft, an international team led by Shandong University shows that Jupiter's magnetodisk is a rippling structure that rotates with the planet, contrary to what scientists previously thought.
Hubble Spots a Suspected Second-Generation Planet

October 12, 2026

Diligent sleuthing by astronomers has broken open a cold case in the data archive of NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. In a study published Monday in Nature Astronomy, researchers report uncovering a surprising chemical clue that indicates the white dwarf star HS 0209+0832 may host a second-generation planet.
The Preliminary Lunar Science Report for Artemis II is Out!

October 11, 2026

Through photographs, spoken observations, drawings, and annotations, the Artemis II crew created a unique scientific record—one that is now available to the science community and the public for further study. Explore highlights here, and find the full suite of reports and select data resources at the bottom of the page.
Webb Observes "Extreme Debris Disks," Providing a Window into the Early Solar System

October 09, 2026

In the early history of our solar system, scientists theorize that a Mars-sized object called Theia smashed into the infant Earth, creating the Earth-Moon system. Using Webb, astronomers are studying young star systems to learn more about the early Solar System's evolution.
NASA Selects GIMLI to Search the Marius Lunar Pit for a Potential Lunar Base Site

October 08, 2026

NASA has selected a Planetary Science Institute-led proposal to investigate whether a potentially large underground cave extends beyond the opening of a lunar pit.
New Study Shows That Earth and Mars Had Different Origins

October 07, 2026

A surprising discovery suggests that Mars and Earth formed through different processes, which could help scientists confirm whether exoplanets are habitable.
Wandering Black Holes May Hold Clues to the Evolution of the Universe

October 07, 2026

According to new research, "wandering" black holes may have left an imprint on the Universe as they traveled for billions of years.