Brett Tingley

Editor, Space.com

Brett is a science and technology journalist who is curious about emerging concepts in spaceflight and aerospace, alternative launch concepts, anti-satellite technologies, and uncrewed systems. Brett's work has appeared on The War Zone at TheDrive.com, Popular Science, the History Channel, Science Discovery, and more. Brett has English degrees from Clemson University and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. In his free time, Brett is a working musician, a hobbyist electronics engineer and cosplayer, an avid LEGO fan, and enjoys hiking and camping throughout the Appalachian Mountains with his wife and two children. 

Articles by: Brett Tingley

Commercial imaging company HEO Robotics captured images of the European Space Agency's ERS-2 satellite as it falls towards Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 14, 2024.

Big, doomed 'TIE fighter' satellite seen from space just days before crashing back to Earth

By Brett Tingley published

The European Space Agency's ERS-2 Earth observation satellite was spotted in space as it prepares to make a fiery reentry into Earth's atmosphere on Feb. 21.

A Soyuz rocket launches the Kosmos 2575 military satellite from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome on Feb. 9, 2024.

Russia is developing a space-based nuclear weapon to target satellites, U.S. Congress reveals

By Brett Tingley published

On Feb. 14, the U.S. Congress learned that Russia is creating a mysterious space-based nuclear weapon to target satellites. The capability is still in development and the launch of such a weapon does "not appear imminent."

A photograph of the moon's surface.

Pinpoint landing: NASA orbiter spies Japan's revived SLIM moon lander on lunar surface

By Brett Tingley published

NASA's images show SLIM's landing site both before and after the probe's touchdown.

A notional rendering of China's reusable Shenlong space plane.

China's secret space plane deploys 6 unknown objects in orbit, and some are emitting signals

By Brett Tingley published

Four days after launching on its third-ever mission, China's mysterious Shenlong robotic space plane has deployed 6 unknown objects into orbit. Some of them appear to be emitting signals.

A notional rendering of China's reusable Shenlong space plane.

Secret Chinese space plane launches on 3rd-ever mission

By Brett Tingley published

Little is known about China's experimental Shenlong space plane or its objectives. The spacecraft just launched on its 3rd-ever mission.

The Russian Progress MS-23 cargo ship burns up in Earth's atmosphere on Nov. 29, 2023.

A Russian cargo ship burnt to a crisp in Earth's atmosphere while ISS astronauts watched

By Brett Tingley published

A Russian spacecraft undocked from the International Space Station, only to burn up in Earth's atmosphere hours later as part of a routine waste disposal mission.

This enhanced image of the Jovian moon Ganymede was obtained by the JunoCam imager aboard NASA's Juno spacecraft during the mission's June 7, 2021, flyby of the icy moon on Juno's 34th pass close to Jupiter.

NASA finds organic compounds seeping up from hidden ocean on Jupiter's icy moon Ganymede

By Brett Tingley published

Ganymede, one of the largest moons in the solar system, possesses a salty subsurface ocean that may contain organic compounds, new research finds.

An illustration of a satellite in geosynchronous orbit.

US government issues 1st-ever space junk fine, charging satellite TV company whopping $150k

By Brett Tingley published

The FCC issued its first-ever fine for a space debris violation, slapping the DISH satellite TV company with a $150,000 penalty.

A still from a U.S. Navy video reportedly showing an unidentified anomalous phenomena encountered in military airspace off America's east coast in 2015.

No aliens in NASA's debut UFO report — but big questions remain

By Brett Tingley published

In the agency's first public report on unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP), NASA experts admit "we don't know what these UAP are."

Gemini North, located on Maunakea in Hawaii. Gemini North is one half of the International Gemini Observatory, a Program of National Science Foundation's NOIRLab.

Hackers attack 2 of the world's most advanced telescopes, forcing shutdown

By Brett Tingley published

It's unclear exactly what the nature of the cyberattacks were or from where they originated.

A galaxy shaped like a question mark against a dense field of stars and galaxies.

James Webb telescope discovers giant question mark galaxy in deep space

By Brett Tingley published

The James Webb Space Telescope spied a cosmic question mark in deep space while observing two young stars located more than 1,000 light-years from Earth.

Is the Pentagon secretly witholding evidence that UFOs have non-human origins?

US government is hiding evidence of 'non-human intelligence', UFO whistleblower tells Congress

By Brett Tingley published

During a congressional hearing on Wednesday (July 26), military witnesses claimed that evidence of non-human technology is being hidden from the public.

A group of people seated at a table in front of a NASA logo.

NASA concludes first-ever public UFO briefing. What did we learn?

By Brett Tingley published

The government is investigating hundreds of military UFO reports, but only a small fraction are truly "anomalous."

Coolant leaks from Russia's Soyuz crew capsule, currently docked to the International Space Station (ISS)

Uncontrollable coolant leak on Russian ISS capsule puts future missions in jeopardy

By Brett Tingley published

Three astronauts are scheduled to fly home on the capsule in March 2023. Now that may no longer be possible.