About Author
A creative professional with forays into all kinds of artistic pursuits, Pranjal's knack for meticulousness when it comes down to telling stories about space is rooted in his existential fascination. Aspects of his creative writing stem from a range of influences—be it the excellent authorship of Carl Sagan in Cosmic Connection, or in Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time. From an early age, the works of astronomy iconoclasts Copernicus, Galileo, and Kepler helped him develop a scientific temper in the face of prevailing traditions, and this has pervaded into Pranjal's current works on spaceflight and skywatching. With him joining Starlust.org’s brilliant team of writers, he can realize his dream of perhaps awakening the curiosity of a fellow stargazer, the same way his own interests were piqued many moons ago.
Latest From Pranjal Pranit
Artemis III major update: NASA mates 212-foot SLS rocket core stage with twin solid rocket boosters
The "short stack" configuration of the Artemis III SLS rocket is now complete and will soon move to the launch pad for a crucial tanking test.
SpaceX conducts a six-engine static fire test of Ship 42 ahead of Starship Flight 15; watch video
The hot firing completes tests of both stages of the 408-foot heavy-lift rocket, with launch expected to occur next month.
Meet UVEX—NASA’s proposed new space telescope set to launch in January 2031
UVEX, coupled with observatories like the Roman Space Telescope, will help us paint a multi-wavelength image of the universe.
Artemis III update: SLS rocket core stage in position for integration with boosters at NASA's Kennedy Space Center
The SLS core stage is currently in a vertical position for integration with the rocket's boosters, which were assembled last week. Here's the latest update about Artemis III.
Starbase bustles with activity as SpaceX prepares for next two Starship flights
The past couple of days have been especially busy for SpaceX, with preparation for Starship Flights 15 and 16 in full swing.
Meet Lumina—a comprehensive model of the early universe that will put our theories to the test
The model will help confirm existing theories about the evolution of the universe while helping astronomers come up with new ones based on findings of space telescopes such as Webb and Roman.
NASA's Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory ceases operations: Here's the legacy it left behind
NASA's "first responder" to transient cosmic events recorded its final observation on October 20. It will fall to its fiery demise in the coming weeks.
To save Artemis astronauts from electric shocks, NASA opens Lunar Grounding Challenge with $150K in prizes
The challenge calls on the public to come up with ways to solve the problem of triboelectric charging on the Moon, which could give astronaut shocks and damage critical suit components.
Space weekly recap, October 18 - October 23: Key stories you may have missed
From progress towards getting humans on the Moon to plans by the U.S. Space Force, here are some stories from this week that may have slipped under the radar.
After putting weapons in orbit, U.S. Space Force labels Russia and China 'threats' to space program
Control of space is felt vital for the Joint Force's ability to communicate, move or defend at the speed and scale required.
European Space Agency to build OASIS, a service station to support future missions on the Moon
The mission is designed to provide a one-stop shop for various lunar instruments' power and communication needs.
JAXA's historic MMX mission lifts off towards Mars to bring back first-ever samples from Phobos
The MMX spacecraft will now coast through space for less than a year before executing a three-year observation. Return is slated for 2031.
Aurora forecast: Solar wind could spark northern lights in Maine and other U.S. states on October 19-20
Residents of many of the northern U.S. states, from Washington to Maine, could get a chance to see auroras around midnight.
Space weekly recap, October 11 - October 17: Key stories you may have missed
From the marked improvement in the heat shield performance of the Artemis II Orion spacecraft over its predecessor to an update related to a privately funded space telescope, news from the week gone by provides a glimpse into the future of space exploration.
NASA's Roman Space Telescope's primary camera beats its image-quality target by nearly 30%
NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, which is currently about a million miles from Earth, recently went through a series of tests and calibrations.
7 reasons spacecraft need the cleanest rooms on Earth
Building spacecraft requires a different level of care than normal manufacturing and typically involves the use of 'clean rooms.'
SpaceX seeks FAA approval for over 450 Starship launches per year from Starbase in Texas
Musk has set a target for hourly Starship flights in the next two to three years, and SpaceX's attempt to vastly increase permitted launches aligns with that goal.
A new time zone for the Moon? NASA white paper reveals timekeeping, navigation and comms plans
While operations on the Moon currently rely on Earth time, lunar time could soon be introduced as the frequency of missions goes up.
Aurora forecast: High speed solar wind could trigger northern lights over the U.S. on October 13
Northern U.S. states like Washington, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Maine could get to see the aurora tonight.
Space weekly recap, October 3 - October 10: Key stories you may have missed
NASA's lunar ambitions edging towards concrete reality, reusable rockets built across the Atlantic and more.
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NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is in space now: See stunning pics from its launch
The most advanced space telescope ever launched is set to uncover some of the age-old mysteries of the universe. After the lift-off on August 30, 2026, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is enroute to the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point (L2), about 932,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers) from our planet.
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SpaceX Crew-13 seen training for the first time post NASA announcement
The upcoming batch of humans to go to space with SpaceX Commercial Crew-13, who will later form part of Expedition 75 aboard the Space Station, train at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. NASA’s Jessica Watkins and Luke Delaney, Canadian Space Agency’s Joshua Kutryk, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov will form part of the crew. Only Commander Watkins has been in space before.
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President Trump welcomes the Artemis II crew to the White House after their historic Moon mission
U.S. President Donald Trump meets with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman and the Artemis II crew in the Oval Office of the White House on April 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. The crew consisted of Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Koch, Commander Reid Wiseman and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen of the Canadian Space Agency.
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Jordan becomes 63rd Artemis Accords signatory
NASA and the US Department of State and seven other initial signatory nations established the Artemis Accords in 2020. With many countries and private companies conducting missions and operations around the Moon, the Artemis Accords provide a common set of principles to enhance the governance of the civil exploration and use of outer space.
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Artemis II in photos: Humanity’s historic mission around the Moon and back
NASA's Artemis II mission returned humans to the Moon for the first time in over five decades. Thanks to the photographs captured by the crew, people across the globe can now view pictures of the lunar far side, the Earth in its entirety, and a rare solar eclipse.
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Latvia becomes the 62nd country to join US-led Artemis Accords
Representatives from the Republic of Latvia, including Minister of Education and Science Dace Melbārde, agreed to join the Artemis Accords. These are a set of governing principles that outline an ideal of cooperative nature of space exploration for all member nations. The event, making the European nation the 62nd signatory, was held on April 20, 2026 at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.