Main Engine Cut Off

NASA is heading back to the drawing board for a Mars Sample Return architecture, and is accepting proposals for mission studies by May. I talk about a few takeaways from the communication of that plan, and ponder whether or not SpaceX is going to do the damn thing. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Lee, Benjamin, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Russell, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile Space, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Bob, Kris, Harrison, David, Frank, Tyler, Jan, Steve, Joel, Theo and Violet, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Josh from Impulse Space, Fred, Pat from KC, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), and four anonymous—and 818 other supporters. Topics NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs - NASARapid Mission Design Studies for Mars Sample ReturnElon Musk on XNASA’s Dragonfly Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan ConfirmedThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterSpaceXPine Works

NASA selected 3 teams to work on unpressurized rovers for Artemis, while Japan signed on officially to provide a pressurized rover in exchange for seats on Artemis landers. Elsewhere, Mitsubishi took a stake in Starlab, and I still needed to catch up on Starship’s 3rd flight and the ensuing update from SpaceX. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Kris, Better Every Day Studios, Tyler, Joel, Fred, Harrison, Benjamin, Donald, Lee, Russell, Warren, Pat from KC, Matt, Bob, Ryan, Josh from Impulse Space, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Pat, The Astrogators at SEE, SmallSpark Space Systems, Stealth Julian, Jan, Steve, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Theo and Violet, David, Joonas, Frank, and four anonymous—and 817 other supporters. Topics NASA selects three companies to advance Artemis lunar rover designs - SpaceNewsJapanese astronauts to land on moon as part of new NASA partnership - SpaceNewsMitsubishi takes stake in Starlab Space - SpaceNewsStarship Flight 3 Excels through most Major Milestones - NASASpaceFlight.comSpaceX planning rapid turnaround for next Starship flight - SpaceNewsElon Musk just gave another Mars speech—this time the vision seems tangible | Ars TechnicaThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterSpaceXPine Works

Andrew Jones returns to the show to catch up on the Chinese space industry—Tiangong, reusable launchers, constellations, and the Moon. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Tyler, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Benjamin, Warren, Pat, Russell, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Theo and Violet, SmallSpark Space Systems, Steve, Fred, Stealth Julian, Better Every Day Studios, Kris, The Astrogators at SEE, David, Joonas, Pat from KC, Brandon, Donald, Josh from Impulse Space, Joel, Ryan, Matt, Harrison, Bob, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Lee Hopkins, Frank, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters. Topics Andrew Jones (@AJ_FI) / XOrienspace breaks Chinese commercial launch records with Gravity-1 solid rocket - SpaceNewsShanghai firm behind G60 megaconstellation raises $943 million - SpaceNewsChina to debut large reusable rockets in 2025 and 2026 - SpaceNewsIndia targets uncrewed Gaganyaan orbital test mission in July, crewed flight in 2025 - SpaceNewsChina rolls out rocket for Queqiao-2 lunar satellite launch - SpaceNewsChina's 2024 space plans include 100 launches and moon sample return mission - SpaceNewsThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterIntuitive MachinesPine Works

Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO of K2 Space, joins me to talk about their vision for the future of satellites and the wider space industry, what they’ve been up to lately, and what their roadmap to the launch pad looks like from here. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—David, Pat from KC, Joonas, Josh from Impulse Space, Will and Lars from Agile Space, The Astrogators at SEE, Bob, Benjamin, Russell, SmallSpark Space Systems, Theo and Violet, Matt, Ryan, Warren, Brandon, Steve, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Fred, Tyler, Joel, Jan, Stealth Julian, Harrison, Frank, Kris, Donald, Lee Hopkins, Better Every Day Studios, Pat, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters. Topics K2 Space | Developing large satellites for a post-Starship futureEpisode 120 - Big Dumb Satellites - Off-NominalStartup K2 Space raises $50 million to build monster satellitesThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterIntuitive MachinesPine Works

Tim Crain, Co-Founder and CTO of Intuitive Machines, joins me to talk about their recent IM-1 mission to land Odysseus on the Moon as part of NASA’s CLPS program. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Russell, Chris, Josh from Impulse Space, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Warren, Ryan, Matt, Harrison, Lee Hopkins, Bob, Brandon, Stealth Julian, Frank, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Benjamin, Steve, The Astrogators at SEE, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Donald, Theo and Violet, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Jan, Kris, Pat from KC, Fred, David, Tyler, Joel, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters. Topics Tim (@CrainTim) / XIntuitive MachinesIM-1 | Intuitive MachinesThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterIntuitive MachinesPine Works

Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about Intuitive Machine’s successful landing despite so many issues on the mission, the future of CLPS, and the tough questions facing NASA and its budget. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Tyler, Lee Hopkins, Better Every Day Studios, Joel, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Matt, Russell, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Ryan, Donald, Brandon, Joonas, Fred, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Frank, Kris, Stealth Julian, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Benjamin, Steve, Chris, Theo and Violet, David, Pat from KC, Dawn Aerospace, Bob, Harrison, and four anonymous—and 823 other supporters. Topics Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / XEric Berger | Ars TechnicaThat moment when you land on the Moon, break a leg, and are about to topple over | Ars TechnicaIt turns out that Odysseus landed on the Moon without any altimetry data | Ars TechnicaNASA faces a quandary with its audacious lunar cargo program | Ars TechnicaBefore Ingenuity ever landed on Mars, scientists almost managed to kill it | Ars TechnicaThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterULAPine Works

I catch up with a round up of stories from January: ULA’s first Vulcan launch, Blue Origin’s success with its BE-4 engines and what it means for their year, Astrobotic’s Peregrine mission, JAXA’s SLIM mission, and NASA’s announcement of Artemis delays. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Tyler, Lee Hopkins, Better Every Day Studios, Joel, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Matt, Russell, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Ryan, Donald, Brandon, Joonas, Fred, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Frank, Kris, Stealth Julian, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Benjamin, Steve, Chris, Theo and Violet, David, Pat from KC, Dawn Aerospace, Bob, Harrison, and four anonymous—and 828 other supporters. Topics Vulcan Centaur launches Peregrine lunar lander on inaugural mission - SpaceNewsBlue Origin gets U.S. Space Force funding for New Glenn ‘integration studies’ - SpaceNewsNASA urged Astrobotic not to send its hamstrung spacecraft toward the Moon | Ars TechnicaUpdate #17 for Peregrine Mission One | AstroboticUpdate #20 for Peregrine Mission One | AstroboticJapan’s SLIM achieved pinpoint moon landing with just one working engine - SpaceNewsDawoon Jung on XNASA Shares Progress Toward Early Artemis Moon Missions with Crew - NASANASA delays Artemis 2 and 3 missions - SpaceNewsThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterNASAPine Works

Alex Fielding, CEO and Chairman of Privateer, joins me to talk about what they’re working on and what drives them as an organization. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 36 executive producers—Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Chris, Joonas, Tyler, Bob, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Theo and Violet, SmallSpark Space Systems, Matt, Harrison, Benjamin, Kris, Stealth Julian, Donald, David, Fred, Lee Hopkins, Pat from KC, Pat, Frank, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Dawn Aerospace, Jan, Russell, Better Every Day Studios, Steve, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Warren, Ryan, Brandon, and four anonymous—and 828 other supporters. Topics PrivateerPono in Space! Reflections on the road to orbit - Privateer SpaceThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterNASAPine Works

A special (free!) airing of this week’s episode of MECO Headlines. Starship IFT-2, Dragonfly, Ariane 6, ISS happenings, launches, and more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Donald, Pat from KC, David, Theo and Violet, Dawn Aerospace, Steve, SmallSpark Space Systems, Jan, Chris, Bob, Tyler, Stealth Julian, Kris, Russell, Pat, Fred, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Lee, Warren, Harrison, Brandon, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Ryan, Joel, Frank, Benjamin, and four anonymous—and 835 other supporters. Topics After upgrades, Starship achieves numerous successes during second test flight - NASASpaceFlight.comStarship/Super Heavy lifts off on second flight - SpaceNewsAriane 6 completes long-duration static-fire test - SpaceNewsESA sets mid-2024 date for first Ariane 6 launch - SpaceNewsNASA’s Dragonfly to Proceed with Final Mission Design Work - NASA ScienceNASA postpones Dragonfly review, launch date - SpaceNewsSpace Station – Off The Earth, For The EarthDragon Kicks Off Robotics and Science Activities on Station – Space StationRobotics Activities Continue; Crew Completes an Array of Research – Space StationAging, Human Research Studies Ahead of Next Cargo Mission – Space StationChina launches new-gen Haiyang ocean monitoring satellite - SpaceNewsLaunch Roundup: Starship, Falcon 9, and Chang Zheng-2C this week - NASASpaceFlight.comSatTrackCam Leiden (b)log: North Korea successfully launches the Malligyong-1 reconnaissance satelliteChina conducts launch to test satellite internet capabilities - SpaceNewsLaunch Roundup: SpaceX on pace to hit 100 launches in 2023, Soyuz to launch Bars-M - NASASpaceFlight.comThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterNASAPine Works

ESA is looking to start a commercial cargo program while looking further ahead to commercial space stations by signing an agreement with Airbus and Voyager. Virgin Galactic is laying off 20% of its staff and ending VSS Unity flights in just a few months. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Russell, Joonas, Kris, SmallSpark Space Systems, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Jan, Chris, David, Warren, Stealth Julian, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Pat from KC, Frank, Donald, Pat, Fred, Dawn Aerospace, Ryan, Steve, Tyler, Brandon, Harrison, Theo and Violet, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Lee, Benjamin, Bob, Matt, and four anonymous—and 821 other supporters. Topics Voyager Space and Airbus create commercial space station joint venture - SpaceNewsESA to start commercial cargo program - SpaceNewsAirbus and Voyager sign agreement with ESA on Starlab commercial space station - SpaceNewsVirgin Galactic lays off staff as it focuses on next-generation suborbital vehicle - SpaceNewsVirgin Galactic to halt Unity suborbital flights by mid-2024 - SpaceNewsVirgin Galactic’s president explains how VSS Unity is now flying frequently | Ars TechnicaThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterNASAPine Works

Marcia Smith of SpacePolicyOnline.com joins me for a roundup of space policy topics—the House Speaker mayhem, the outlook for budgets over the next year, what to do about the ISS and its related expenses, and a lot more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Frank, Kris, Tyler, Fred, Lee, Pat from KC, Dawn Aerospace, Stealth Julian, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Theo and Violet, Steve, Benjamin, Warren, Pat, Donald, Joel, David, Ryan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Jan, SmallSpark Space Systems, Joonas, Brandon, Harrison, Matt, Chris, Russell, and four anonymous—and 838 other supporters. Topics SpacePolicyOnline.com – Your first stop for news, information and analysis about civil, military and commercial space programsShutdown Averted, Government Funded Until November 17 – SpacePolicyOnline.comSpeaker Mike Johnson: “The People’s House is Back in Business” – SpacePolicyOnline.comNASA Safety Panel Issues Clarion Call for ISS Deorbit Tug – SpacePolicyOnline.comNASA Upbeat About Future of Mars Sample Return Despite IRB-2 Report – SpacePolicyOnline.comSpaceX Warns Government Regulations Slowing Starship, Could Let China Get Ahead – SpacePolicyOnline.comNASA IG Skeptical of Major SLS Cost Savings From Services Contract – SpacePolicyOnline.comThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterStoke SpacePine Works

Dr. Molly Mulligan and Dr. Ken Savin of Redwire join me to talk about successfully 3D bioprinting the first human knee meniscus on the International Space Station in their BioFabrication Facility, how this work fits into the near and far future of both health and the space market at large, and to discuss a wide-ranging set of related topics. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Donald, Lee, Fred, Kris, Benjamin, Pat, Jan, Chris, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Will and Lars from Agile Space, The Astrogators at SEE, Harrison, Joonas, Steve, Theo and Violet, Bob, Joel, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, David, Pat from KC, Ryan, Russell, Stealth Julian, Brandon, Warren, Tyler, Dawn Aerospace, Matt, Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 837 other supporters. Topics Redwire Space | Heritage + InnovationRedwire BioFabrication Facility Successfully Prints First Human Knee Meniscus on ISS, Paving the Way for Advanced In-Space Bioprinting Capabilities to Benefit Human Health | Redwire SpaceNG-18 Research: RedWire BioFabrication Facility - YouTubeThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterStoke SpacePine Works

Chris Pearson (CEO) and Lars Osborne (Chief Engineer) of Agile Space join me to talk about what they’re working on, how the company has gotten to where it is today, and what’s in store for the future. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Pat from KC, Chris, Benjamin, Pat, Jan, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Tyler, Dawn Aerospace, Bob, Fred, Joel, Donald, Frank, Lee, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Matt, Stealth Julian, Russell, Brandon, SmallSpark Space Systems, Kris, Harrison, David, Ryan, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Steve, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Warren, and four anonymous—and 835 other supporters. Topics Agile Space IndustriesChris Pearson takes the reins at Agile Space Industries - SpaceNewsAgile raises $13 million to expand production - SpaceNewsAgile Qualifies a Thruster for Lunar Landings - PayloadThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterStoke SpacePine Works

Northrop Grumman has changed plans—they’ve ended their own space station project, and will contribute to Starlab. At the same time, Blue Origin and Sierra Space are reconsidering their Orbital Reef plans, amidst changing leadership and raising money. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Jan, Frank, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd, the Everyday Astronaut, Joonas, David, Lars from Agile Space, Matt, Harrison, Theo and Violet, Kris, Pat, Stealth Julian, Lee, Bob, Ryan, Russell, Steve, Dawn Aerospace, Donald, Joel, Will from Agile, Benjamin, Brandon, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Chris, Tyler, Pat from KC, Warren, Fred, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 833 other supporters. Topics Northrop Grumman to join Voyager Space commercial space station project - SpaceNewsBlue Origin, Sierra Space Orbital Reef space station in limboSierra Space raises $290 million - SpaceNewsJeff Bezos finally got rid of Bob Smith at Blue Origin | Ars TechnicaThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterStoke SpacePine Works

Tom Marotta of The Spaceport Company joins me to talk about what they’re working on, their vision for the future of spaceflight, spaceport operations, the demonstration they did in May, the FAA and its interaction with private companies, reentry licensing, and a whole host of other topics. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Steve, Bob, Stealth Julian, David, Harrison, Lee, Jan, Joonas, Ryan, Theo and Violet, Frank, Chris, Pat, Lars and Will from Agile Space, Kris, Donald, SmallSpark Space Systems, Dawn Aerospace, Matt, Pat from KC, Tyler, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Fred, Benjamin, The Astrogators at SEE, Russell, Warren, and four anonymous—and 833 other supporters. Topics Tom Marotta (@thomasmarotta) / XTom Marotta | LinkedInThe Spaceport CompanyThe Spaceport Company: Overview | LinkedInThe Spaceport Company (@TheSpaceportCo) / XThe Spaceport Company- Full Length Launch ProRes HQ 4 - YouTubeThe Spaceport Company demonstrates offshore launch operations - SpaceNewsCape Congestion: World's busiest spaceport stretched to its limits - SpaceNewsThe Space Review: The spaceport bottleneckChinese Ceres-1 rocket reaches orbit with first sea launch - SpaceNewsThe High Frontier: An Easier Way: Marotta, Tom, Globus, Al: 9781719231749: Amazon.com: BooksThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterISROPine Works

Jake and Anthony are joined by Loren Grush of Bloomberg to talk about her new book, The Six: The Untold Story of America’s First Women Astronauts. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Frank, Chris, Joel, Fred, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Steve, David, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Kris, Theo and Violet, Joonas, Lee, Bob, Stealth Julian, Pat, SmallSpark Space Systems, Harrison, Benjamin, Lars and Will from Agile Space, Ryan, Dawn Aerospace, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Tyler, Russell, Pat from KC, Matt, Jan, Donald, and four anonymous—and 842 other supporters. Topics Off-Nominal Campaign for Relay FM/St. JudeLoren Grush - BloombergLoren Grush (@grushcrush) • Instagram photos and videosLoren Grush (@lorengrush) / TwitterOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 123 - An Exciting Time (with Loren Grush) - YouTubeThe Six | Book by Loren Grush | Official Publisher Page | Simon & SchusterThe Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy: a conversation with my parents who worked the accident - The VergeThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterISROPine Works

Scott Tilley joins me to talk about ISRO’s success with Chandrayaan-3, Roscosmos’ Luna-25 mission and the mystery behind it, and the state of the Deep Space Network. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Pat, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Joel, Fred, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Steve, Pat from KC, Joonas, Jan, Kris, David, Frank, Russell, Tyler, Lee, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Benjamin, SmallSpark Space Systems, Chris, Ryan, Lars and Will from Agile Space, Dawn Aerospace, Theo and Violet, Harrison, Matt, Bob, Stealth Julian, Donald, and four anonymous—and 842 other supporters. Topics Scott Tilley 🇺🇦 (@coastal8049) / XRiddles in the Sky – A blog dedicated to observing, mostly classified, satellites.Episode 51 - Hubbles In Reverse - Off-NominalChandrayaan-3: India becomes fourth country to land on the moon - SpaceNewsISRO on XLuna-25 crashes into moon after orbit maneuver - SpaceNewsScott Tilley 🇺🇦 on XNASA Deep Space Network reaches “critical point” as demand grows - SpaceNewsCrescent Space | HomeIntuitive Machines to Deploy and Operate First Lunar Communication Satellite in 2022The Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterArianespacePine Works

Amazon moved their Project Kuiper prototypes from Vulcan to Atlas V. Between that and some recent conversations I’ve had, I thought it would be a good time to check in on Kuiper and to see how they’re progressing towards deployment. I do some math, and it’s not good. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Chris, Donald, Dawn Aerospace, Will, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Benjamin, Steve, Theo and Violet, Pat, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, Harrison, Tyler, Jan, Bob, Kris, Lars from Agile Space, Pat from KC, Ryan, Lee, Stealth Julian, Warren, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Fred, Matt, Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, Joel, David, Joonas, and four anonymous—and 830 other supporters. Topics Amazon moves Project Kuiper prototypes from Vulcan to Atlas 5 - SpaceNewsAmazon signs multibillion-dollar Project Kuiper launch contracts - SpaceNewsArianespace signs unprecedented contract with Amazon for 18 Ariane 6 launches to deploy Project Kuiper constellation - ArianespaceBlue Origin opens rocket engine factory - SpaceNewsBarry Jenakuns on XEpisode 120 - Big Dumb Satellites - Off-NominalThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterArianespacePine Works

After the most recent show, I found a few nuggets of information in the NSSL Phase 3 documents, plus some more updates came out in a call that the Space Force had with some reporters. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Donald, Lee, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Kris, Simon, Pat, Pat from KC, Russell, Matt, Fred, Stealth Julian, SmallSpark Space Systems, Tyler, Jan, Dawn Aerospace, Ryan, Theo and Violet, David, Harrison, Joel, Benjamin, Frank, Bob, Chris, Will, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, Joonas, Steve, Lars from Agile Space, Warren, and four anonymous—and 835 other supporters. Topics T+254: Mars Sample Return, Vulcan, NSSL Phase 3 (with Eric Berger) - Main Engine Cut OffNational Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 DRAFT Request for Proposals (RFPs) #2Space Force to select three providers of national security launch services - SpaceNewsSpace Force changed launch procurement plan due to concerns about capacity - SpaceNewsThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterULAPine Works

Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about the budgetary threat facing Mars Sample Return, the latest issue with ULA’s Vulcan vehicle, and the ongoing tweaks to the National Security Space Launch Program’s Phase 3 architecture. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Will, Tyler, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Lars from Agile Space, Harrison, Craig from SpaceHappyHour.com, SmallSpark Space Systems, Pat, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut), Kris, Russell, Donald, Matt, Jan, Dawn Aerospace, Steve, Bob, Benjamin, Joel, Joonas, Lee, David, Warren, Frank, Simon, Fred, Chris, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat from KC, and four anonymous—and 833 other supporters. Topics Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / TwitterEric Berger | Ars TechnicaNASA’s Mars Sample Return has a new price tag—and it’s colossal | Ars TechnicaThe Senate just lobbed a tactical nuke at NASA’s Mars Sample Return program | Ars TechnicaVulcan’s upper stage failed due to higher stress and weaker welds | Ars TechnicaSpace Force to select three providers of national security launch services - SpaceNewsNational Security Space Launch (NSSL) Phase 3 DRAFT Request for Proposals (RFPs) #2Stephen Clark | Ars TechnicaThe Show Support the showanthony@mainenginecutoff.com@WeHaveMECO@meco@spacey.spaceMECO HeadlinesOff-NominalOff-Nominal DiscordApple PodcastsOvercastPocket CastsSpotifyGoogle PlayStitcherTuneInelsewhereMain Engine Cut Off NewsletterULAPine Works