Alle afleveringen
343 afleveringen, van nieuw naar oud
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T+342: NASA Updates Artemis III and IV Plans, and the Big Feelings on the Falcon to Starship Transition
30 oktober 2026 · 45 min
NASA laid out its plans for Artemis III and IV, including dramatically different paths to the Moon for Blue Moon and Starship. I dig into the complexity and sustainability of both architectures, the ever-changing role of SLS, and then into the big feelings around SpaceX’s future—with or without the industry. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Joakim, Miles O’Brien, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Kris, Jan, Theo and Violet, Heiko, Fred, Matt, Donald, Will and Lars from Agile, Stealth Julian, David, Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Frank, Steve, Warren, Russell, Pat, Natasha Tsakos, Ryan, Matt from Built, Lee, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
NASA’s Artemis III Mission to Test Future Moon Lander Operations - NASA
NASA, Partners Accelerate Lander Development for 2028 Moon Missions - NASA
SpaceX no longer needs NASA, and that's a problem for America's space agency - Ars Technica
The Show
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Artwork photo by SpaceX
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+341: The Launch Shortage, SpaceX Going Alone (with Caleb Henry)
29 oktober 2026 · 57 min
Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me (in studio!) to talk about the growing launch shortage, which new rockets are best positioned to fill the gap, and how SpaceX is separating itself from the launch market as the rest of the industry finds a path forward without them. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Joel, Fred, Josh from Impulse, Jan, Kris, Ryan, Matt from Built, Natasha Tsakos, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile, Stealth Julian, Matt, Heiko, Miles O’Brien, Pat, Steve, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, David, Donald, Joonas, Lee, Joakim, Frank, Theo and Violet, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Caleb Henry (@ChenrySpace) / X
The OneWeb Book | Caleb Henry | Substack
Quilty Space
Space Force scrambles as Musk’s SpaceX retires its major rocket - POLITICO
Neutron's first launch slips again amid trouble with carbon composites - Ars Technica
SpaceX no longer needs NASA, and that's a problem for America's space agency - Ars Technica
SpaceX to attempt Starship catch on next flight, with eye on rapid cadence increase - Ars Technica
Does anyone actually want to win the medium-lift race in the United States? - Ars Technica
Blue Origin is going all in on the New Glenn rocket - Ars Technica
Amazon builds 1,000th satellite, will launch space internet service by end of year - Ars Technica
The Show
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Artwork photo by SpaceX
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+340: Starliner’s Future and the Demand Signal
29 september 2026 · 33 min
NASA and Boeing laid out Starliner’s return-to-flight plan as SpaceX prepares to leave Dragon behind. I talk through the weak demand signal for crewed flight in LEO, how NASA’s commitment to the ISS and commercial stations boxed themselves into this decision, and what to do between here and the Moon. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Theo and Violet, Miles O’Brien, Joakim, Steve, Warren, Joel, Frank, Joonas, Natasha Tsakos, Will and Lars from Agile, David, Matt, Jan, Matt from Built, Lee, Josh from Impulse, Russell, Heiko, Kris, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Ryan, The Astrogators at SEE, Donald, Fred, Pat, Stealth Julian, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Boeing "incredibly excited" to serve as nation's only astronaut transportation - Ars Technica
After being sidelined, Boeing's Starliner to get starring role in NASA's spaceflight plans - Ars Technica
Congress extends ISS and tells NASA to get moving on private space stations - Ars Technica
NASA chief concerned China may deny access to parts of Moon's south pole - Ars Technica
SpaceX's Starship goes orbital, deploying first next-gen Starlinks - Ars Technica
Vast Establishes Lunar Programs Division, Applying Haven Flight Heritage to Power, Communications, and Habitats on the Moon — an update by VAST
The Show
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Artwork photo by Zhou Quan
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+339: Starbase Louisiana, the Falcon Fade, and the Next Wave of Launch Vehicles
28 augustus 2026 · 36 min
SpaceX officially announced Starbase Louisiana, and I break down why the site fits Starship’s launch, landing, and orbital architecture so perfectly. I also look at the transition from Falcon to Starship, and the new launch vehicles on the verge of debut. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Warren, Matt from Built, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Natasha Tsakos, Lee, Donald, David, Matt, Joonas, Russell, Steve, Frank, Will and Lars from Agile, The Astrogators at SEE, Josh from Impulse, Fred, Joel, Kris, Pat, Joakim, Miles O’Brien, Stealth Julian, Jan, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
SpaceX Launches New Era of Commercial Spaceflight with $100 Billion Louisiana Campus - Louisiana Economic Development
SpaceX intends to invest up to $100 billion in massive Louisiana spaceport - Ars Technica
Episode 245 - Polar Bears and Penguins (with Jonathan Goff and Mike Loucks) - Off-Nominal
AAS Paper Review: RAAN Agnostic 3-Burn Departure Methodology for Deep Space Missions from LEO Depots (Part 1 of 2) | Selenian Boondocks
AAS Paper Review: Practical Methodologies For Low Delta-V Penalty, On-Time Departures To Arbitrary Interplanetary Destinations From A Medium-Inclination Low-Earth Orbit Depot | Selenian Boondocks
An Updated Propellant Depot Taxonomy Part V: Human Spaceflight Fixed Depots (Low-Orbit) | Selenian Boondocks
SpaceX on X: Ship 40 Reaches Christmas Island
Ship 40 arrives at Christmas Island, Plans Return to Starbase - NASASpaceflight
SpaceX on X: Ship 41 Single-Engine Static Fire
Ship 41 Completes Engine Testing Ahead of Flight 14 - NASASpaceflight
Satellite operators are in panic mode due to a worsening launch crisis - Ars Technica
Nova payload module, second stage, and Andromeda engine fit check - Stoke Space
First three flight-one Zenith engines ready for acceptance testing - Stoke Space
Rocket Lab Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results: Posts Recor…
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T+338: Zhuque-3, Long March 10B, Chang’e-7 (with Andrew Jones)
27 augustus 2026 · 48 min
Andrew Jones returns to the show to catch up on the Chinese space industry—the landings of Zhuque-3 and Long March 10B first stages, Chang’e-7 and its delay, and more. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Steve, Joakim, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Fred, Will and Lars from Agile, Miles O’Brien, Natasha Tsakos, Lee, Warren, Russell, Stealth Julian, Kris, The Astrogators at SEE, Frank, Matt from Built, Theo and Violet, Joel, Donald, Pat, David, Jan, Matt, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
China’s Landspace recovers booster with second orbital launch of Zhuque-3 rocket - SpaceNews
Landspace aims to refly recovered Zhuque-3 booster within six months - SpaceNews
LandSpace’s Zhuque-3 topples following milestone landing - NASASpaceFlight.com
China becomes second country to recover orbital booster with Long March 10B - SpaceNews
China lines up methalox Long March 10C as commercial workhorse after first booster recovery - SpaceNews
Chinese Long March 7A rocket explodes shortly after liftoff - SpaceNews
Long March 12 launches despite recent 7A failure, Long March 2C launches satellite for UAE - SpaceNews
China delays Chang’e-7 lunar south pole landing mission launch - SpaceNews
Long March 6C launches 7 satellites, Chang’e-7 rocket rolled back to assembly building - SpaceNews
The Show
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Artwork photo by Zhou Quan
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+337: Inversion Space (with Justin Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and CEO)
4 augustus 2026 · 48 min
Justin Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Inversion Space, joins me to talk about the company’s plan to store maneuverable reentry vehicles in orbit for rapid cargo delivery, the design and architecture decisions driving Arc including cross-range requirements and payload accomodations, and how they see the market for these services. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Russell, Fred, Natasha Tsakos, Matt, Joonas, Matt from Built, Josh from Impulse, Pat, Steve, David, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Joel, Stealth Julian, Ryan, Theo and Violet, Kris, The Astrogators at SEE, Miles O’Brien, Jan, Donald, Joakim, Frank, Will and Lars from Agile, Warren, Lee, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Inversion
Arc - Inversion
Anduril, Team of Partners to Work on Space Force’s Space-Based Interceptors for Golden Dome for America | Anduril
Arc Orbital Supply Capsule Aims To Put Military Supplies Anywhere On Earth Within An Hour
The Show
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Artwork photo by Zhou Quan
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+336: Rocket Lab Buys Iridium, New Glenn’s Pad Rebuild, and NASA Awards 4 CLPS Missions
2 juli 2026 · 25 min
Rocket Lab is buying Iridium for $8 billion, Blue Origin has a new plan to get New Glenn flying again without rebuilding the same pad architecture, and NASA just awarded four new CLPS missions. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Warren, Matt from Built, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Natasha Tsakos, Lee, Donald, David, Matt, Joonas, Russell, Steve, Frank, Will and Lars from Agile, The Astrogators at SEE, Josh from Impulse, Fred, Joel, Kris, Pat, Joakim, Miles O’Brien, Stealth Julian, Jan, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Rocket Lab to acquire Iridium - SpaceNews
Rocket Lab to Acquire Iridium in Historic Deal, Creating A
New Glenn Return to Flight - Blue Origin
NASA Awards More Moon Base Science, Previews New Opportunities
NextSTEP-3 B: Moon Base Demonstrations - NASA
Episode 154 - They Ran Into Us (with Matt Desch, CEO of Iridium) - Off-Nominal
The Show
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Artwork photo by SpaceX
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+335: Auriga Space (with Winnie Lai, Founder and CEO)
15 juni 2026 · 41 min
Founder and CEO of Auriga Space, Winnie Lai, joins me to talk about their electromagnetic launch infrastructure and the path she sees for Auriga across space and defense markets. And yes, we talk about whether this kind of alternative launch architecture is a good fit for Earth, or a better fit for pretty much every other rock in the solar system. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Steve, Ryan, Matt from Built, Russell, Joel, David, Kris, Joakim, Fred, Pat, Matt, Theo and Violet, Natasha Tsakos, Donald, Warren, Miles O’Brien, Will and Lars from Agile, Frank, Jan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Josh from Impulse, Stealth Julian, Lee, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Auriga - Electromagnetic Launch for Space and Defense
Auriga Space raises $6M to shoot rockets off an electromagnetic launch track | TechCrunch
The Show
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Artwork photo by SpaceX
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+334: SpaceX the Outlier, and Organization Leadership (with Matt Gjertsen)
9 juni 2026 · 44 min
I often talk about SpaceX being an extreme outlier in the industry and how many organizations have tried to replicate their approach, but very few (if any) have been successful. Matt Gjertsen of Built joins me to share a take on what exactly it is internally that drives their results, how to apply it in other organizations, and to share some perspective on his time at SpaceX leading Training and Development, and from elsewhere in the industry. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Steve, Ryan, Matt from Built, Russell, Joel, David, Kris, Joakim, Fred, Pat, Matt, Theo and Violet, Natasha Tsakos, Donald, Warren, Miles O’Brien, Will and Lars from Agile, Frank, Jan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Josh from Impulse, Stealth Julian, Lee, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Built Leaders
Minimum Viable Manager – Built Leaders
Why Steve Jobs drowned the first iPod prototype | Cult of Mac
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+333: New Glenn Explodes on LC-36, Starship Flight 12, and NASA Moon Base Updates
29 mei 2026 · 31 min
Blue Origin’s New Glenn blew up on LC-36 last night during a static fire test, Starship flew its 12th flight, and NASA had a series of updates on its Moon Base program, including LTV awards, launch and landing contracts, and a somewhat unexplained branding exercise. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Lee, Steve, Josh from Impulse, Kris, David, Miles O’Brien, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Jan, Donald, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, The Astrogators at SEE, Ryan, Matt, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile, Pat, Fred, Joonas, Theo and Violet, Russell, Joel, Natasha Tsakos, Joakim, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Here's why the failure of Blue Origin's New Glenn rocket is so catastrophic - Ars Technica
NASA takes steps toward building Moon Base, including discussing a "perimeter" - Ars Technica
NASA selects four companies for initial moon base awards - SpaceNews
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+332: Quantum Space (with Jim Bridenstine, CEO)
26 mei 2026 · 37 min
Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has joined Quantum Space as CEO. We talk about what the company is working on, the Ranger spacecraft, how they fit into the industry, where he sees their market going, and what it’s like to be a former NASA Administrator running a company in the industry. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Fred, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Steve, Kris, Stealth Julian, Will and Lars from Agile, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat, Warren, Josh from Impulse, Miles O’Brien, Russell, Matt, Natasha Tsakos, Joakim, Lee, Theo and Violet, Joonas, Joel, Jan, Donald, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Quantum Space hires Bridenstine as CEO - SpaceNews
Quantum Space to build spacecraft in Tulsa - SpaceNews
Quantum Space acquires Phase Four propulsion assets - SpaceNews
Quantum Space raises $40 million - SpaceNews
The Show
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Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls
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T+331: Checking in on K2 (with Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO)
19 mei 2026 · 44 min
Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO of K2 Space, joins me to talk about their hardware in space today, how their vision and plans have evolved over the past few years, and how industry changes like the push for orbital data centers have impacted their future. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Lee, Steve, Josh from Impulse, Kris, David, Miles O’Brien, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Jan, Donald, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, The Astrogators at SEE, Ryan, Matt, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile, Pat, Fred, Joonas, Theo and Violet, Russell, Joel, Natasha Tsakos, Joakim, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
High-Power Satellite Platforms | K2 Space | Build Bigger
T+270: K2 Space (with Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO) - Main Engine Cut Off
Investors commit quarter-billion dollars to startup designing “Giga” satellites - Ars Technica
Episode 241 - Maybe the Denver Airport (with Andrew Rush) - Off-Nominal
Anduril teams with commercial space firms, Sandia lab on Golden Dome interceptor program - SpaceNews
Space Force taps K2 satellites to test laser communications for missile-defense - SpaceNews
The Show
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T+330: 10 Years of MECO
24 april 2026 · 32 min
The show turned 10 last Monday, so I thought it would be fun to have our good friend Jake Robins on to look back at where we were then, what’s happened since, and what that teaches us about the future. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Donald, Ryan, Joakim, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, David, Theo and Violet, Lee, Miles O’Brien, Will and Lars from Agile, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), The Astrogators at SEE, Frank, Steve, Russell, Matt, Joel, Kris, Natasha Tsakos, Pat, Jan, Warren, Fred, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
T-0: The Near Future of US-Based Competitors - Main Engine Cut Off
T+1: The Near Future of NASA’s Orion and SLS Programs - Main Engine Cut Off
1 – The Waxing Interest in Mars
T+23: SpaceX Mars Architecture Initial Reactions - Main Engine Cut Off
13 – Making Humans Multiplanetary (feat. Anthony Colangelo)
65 – Starship on Course (feat. Anthony Colangelo)
T+135: Jake Robins on Starship - Main Engine Cut Off
wemartians comments on Main Engine Cut Off — A new, short, weekly podcast about spaceflight and exploration
The Show
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T+329: Katalyst Space and the Mission to Boost Swift (with Ghonhee Lee, Founder and CEO)
23 april 2026 · 45 min
Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space, joins me to talk about their upcoming mission to boost NASA’s Swift observatory, and how they are approaching in-orbit services differently than those that came before. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Donald, Ryan, Joakim, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, David, Theo and Violet, Lee, Miles O’Brien, Will and Lars from Agile, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), The Astrogators at SEE, Frank, Steve, Russell, Matt, Joel, Kris, Natasha Tsakos, Pat, Jan, Warren, Fred, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Upgrade Satellites Post-Launch | Katalyst Space Technologies
A unique NASA satellite is falling out of orbit—this team is trying to rescue it - Ars Technica
Swift spacecraft reorientation buys time for reboost mission - SpaceNews
Katalyst Space acquires Atomos to accelerate in-space services - SpaceNews
Arianespace to launch Katalyst servicing spacecraft - SpaceNews
LinkedIn post with the mission patch
The Show
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T+328: Pam Melroy, Former NASA Deputy Administrator and Space Shuttle Commander
9 april 2026 · 52 min
Pam Melroy, Former NASA Deputy Administrator, Space Shuttle Commander, and three-time Shuttle astronaut, joins me to talk about space policy past, present, and future. We talk about the most critical decisions and moments during her time as Deputy Administrator under Administrator Bill Nelson, and her thoughts on the Isaacman-era space policy from Ignition to Commercial LEO, and what to do about Mars Sample Return. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Steve, Lee, Russell, Stealth Julian, Warren, Miles O’Brien, Josh from Impulse, Joel, David, Natasha Tsakos, Joakim, Will and Lars from Agile, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Donald, The Astrogators at SEE, Jan, Joonas, Pat, Matt, Kris, Fred, Theo and Violet, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Pamela Melroy (@Astro_Pam) / X
NASA Statement on Nomination of Pam Melroy for Agency Deputy Administrator - NASA
Pam Melroy Sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator - NASA
As Artemis Moves Forward, NASA Picks SpaceX to Land Next Americans on Moon - NASA
NASA Selects Blue Origin as Second Artemis Lunar Lander Provider - NASA
NASA Selects Companies to Develop Commercial Destinations in Space - NASA
Op-ed: NASA’s New CLD Strategy Will Lose Mars, LEO to China
NASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs - NASA
NASA to Explore Two Landing Options for Returning Samples from Mars - NASA
The Show
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T+327: Artemis II, the Lunar Flyby Edition (with Paul Fjeld)
8 april 2026 · 1 uur 22 min
Artemis II completed their lunar flyby yesterday, and it was epic on all levels. Paul Fjeld and I discuss that and many other topics related to Artemis, Apollo, and human spaceflight. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Will and Lars from Agile, David, Better Every Day Studios, Kris, Stealth Julian, Joonas, Russell, Warren, Jan, Natasha Tsakos, Steve, Pat, The Astrogators at SEE, Fred, Donald, Miles O’Brien, Matt, Josh from Impulse, Frank, Lee, Joakim, Joel, Theo and Violet, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Space Art by Paul Fjeld
NASA’s Artemis II Crew Flies Around the Moon (Official Broadcast) - YouTube
Artemis II Multimedia: Crew Photos, Videos and Mission Highlights
NASA's Moon ship and rocket seem to be working well, so what about the landers? - Ars Technica
T+58: Totality - Main Engine Cut Off
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T+326: Artemis II Underway
2 april 2026 · 14 min
Artemis II is underway with a spectacular first day. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Donald, Matt, David, Joel, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Natasha Tsakos, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Lee, Fred, Will and Lars from Agile, Ryan, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat, Joakim, Miles O’Brien, Steve, Jan, Stealth Julian, Kris, Theo and Violet, Russell, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
NASA's Artemis II Live Mission Coverage (Official Broadcast) - YouTube
Artemis II Flight Update: Perigee Raise Maneuver Complete; NASA to Hold Press Conference
Artemis II Flight Update: Apogee Raise Burn Complete, Crew Looks Ahead to Proximity Operations
Artemis II Flight Update: Proximity Operations Complete, Perigee Raise Burn Up Next
Artemis II Flight Update: Crew and Ground Teams Successfully Troubleshoot Orion’s Toilet
Artemis II Flight Update: Perigee Raise Burn Complete
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+325: Ignition
31 maart 2026 · 35 min
There was a lot of news in NASA’s Ignition event last week, and I break down what actually matters: not whether Jared Isaacman’s timelines are realistic, but how this new roadmap strips away architectural dependencies and forces the real bottlenecks into the open. I talk through Gateway’s cancellation, the possible path away from SLS and ICPS, what this means for lunar landers and international partners, and why NASA’s new philosophy feels so different from the past. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Steve, Joel, Kris, Josh from Impulse, Will and Lars from Agile, Warren, Natasha Tsakos, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Lee, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Russell, Fred, David, Donald, Frank, Miles O’Brien, Jan, Joakim, The Astrogators at SEE, Stealth Julian, Theo and Violet, Matt, Pat, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Ignition - NASA
Ignition: NASA's Plan for The Moon - YouTube
Ignition: NASA's Plan for Science and Discovery - YouTube
Ignition: NASA News Conference (March 24, 2026) - YouTube
NASA kills lunar space station to focus on ambitious Moon base - Ars Technica
We got an audience with the "Lunar Viceroy" to talk how NASA will build a Moon base - Ars Technica
Cavossa: CLD Companies Want Stability, Not a New Plan – SpacePolicyOnline.com
With Artemis Changes, Europe is Left Holding the Bag
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+324: Impulse Space (with Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO)
17 maart 2026 · 40 min
Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO of Impulse Space, joins me to catch up on the company’s progress and plans—3 Mira missions flown, Helios soon to fly, $525M raised, new defense contracts, a lunar lander concept, and a new Colorado facility. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Warren, Steve, Ryan, Will and Lars from Agile, Natasha Tsakos, Russell, Joakim, Theo and Violet, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Lee, Donald, Heiko, Better Every Day Studios, Josh from Impulse, Miles O’Brien, Stealth Julian, David, Joonas, Kris, Frank, Jan, Fred, Pat, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Impulse Space
Careers - Impulse Space
Tom Mueller (@lrocket) / X
Inside Impulse’s New Colorado Facility
Impulse Space Secures $300 Million Series C to Accelerate the Future of In-Space Mobility
Starfish Space Completes Autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Mission in LEO with Impulse Space
To the Moon (and Beyond): How Impulse Can Deliver More Mass to the Lunar Surface
Introducing the Upgraded Mira: Bringing In-Space Mobility to GEO and Beyond
The S…
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T+323: The Artemis Roadmap Shakeup
27 februari 2026 · 30 min
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a sweeping roadmap change to the Artemis program this morning—seemingly cancelling the EUS, Gateway, and all SLS upgrades, and instead pursuing the once-and-future annual launch cadence of SLS. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—David, Russell, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Theo and Violet, Steve, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile, Miles O’Brien, Kris, Fred, Stealth Julian, Frank, Joakim, Ryan, Warren, Matt, The Astrogators at SEE, Joel, Lee, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Donald, Natasha Tsakos, Heiko, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
NASA shakes up its Artemis program to speed up lunar return - Ars Technica
NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture - NASA
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “President Trump gave the world the Artemis Program, and NASA and our partners have the plan to deliver. We will standardize architecture where possible, add missions and accelerate flight rate, execute in an evolutionary way, and safely return American astronauts to the Moon…”
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “…and this is how we’re going back.”
Teams Begin Artemis II Repairs in Vehicle Assembly Building - NASA
The Show
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-
T+322: SpaceX Acquires xAI as it Prepares for IPO, Blue Origin Cancels New Shepard, and Artemis II Delayed (with Loren Grush)
6 februari 2026 · 41 min
Loren Grush, of Bloomberg, joins me to talk about SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI, its preparation for a potential IPO, Blue Origin’s cancellation of New Shepard and their recent momentum, and the delay to Artemis II following its first wet dress rehearsal. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—David, Natasha Tsakos, Stealth Julian, Warren, Joakim, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Miles O’Brien, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Will and Lars from Agile, The Astrogators at SEE, Steve, Joonas, Frank, Fred, Heiko, Donald, Lee, Russell, Kris, Ryan, Theo and Violet, Joel, Matt, Jan, Josh from Impulse, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
SpaceX Acquires xAI as Musk Prepares for Mega IPO - Bloomberg
SpaceX-xAI Deal Blurs Musk’s Once-Clear Space Exploration Mission - Bloomberg
Loren Brichter, a High Priest of App Design - WSJ
Blue Origin to Pause New Shepard Flights for No Less Than Two Years | Blue Origin
NASA Conducts Artemis II Fuel Test, Eyes March for Launch Opportunity - NASA
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+321: Artemis II, New Glenn’s First Reflight, Blue Origin’s TeraWave, and Tory Bruno’s Job Switch
23 januari 2026 · 31 min
Artemis II is on the pad, and I can’t stop thinking about it. So I guess listen to me think in the open? Also, a ton of Blue Origin news—the next flight of New Glenn will feature a flown booster, they’ve announced constellation plans under the name TeraWave, and Tory Bruno has left ULA to join the team at Blue. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Matt, Fred, Will and Lars from Agile, Kris, Lee, Jan, Frank, Miles O’Brien, Josh from Impulse, Theo and Violet, Ryan, Joakim, Stealth Julian, Heiko, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Better Every Day Studios, Joel, Steve, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat, Warren, Natasha Tsakos, Russell, David, Donald, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
NASA’s Moonbound Artemis II Rocket Reaches Launch Pad - NASA
Final Steps Underway for NASA’s First Crewed Artemis Moon Mission - NASA
Is Orion’s heat shield really safe? New NASA chief conducts final review on eve of flight. - Ars Technica
Blue Origin makes impressive strides with reuse—next launch will refly booster - Ars Technica
New Glenn-3 to Launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Satellite | Blue Origin
Blue Origin on X: “Our lunar lander is headed to the Lone Star State! ⭐ Blue Moon MK1 departed from Florida today, bound for @NASA_Johnson's Thermal Vacuum Chamber A, where it will undergo testing at the same facility as the Apollo spacecraft.”
Another Jeff Bezos company has announced plans to develop a megaconstellation - Ars Technica
First Take: What We Think Blue Origin’s TeraWave Actually Is (and Isn’t)
In a surprise announcement, Tory Bruno is out as CEO of United Launch Alliance - Ars Technica
Blue Origin on X: “We’re pleased to announce that @torybruno is joining Blue Origin as president, National Security, reporting to CEO Dave Limp. Tory will spearhead our newly formed National Security Group.”
The Show
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T+320: NASA’s FY2026 Budget, the Isaacman Era, and the Eve of Artemis II (with Casey Dreier)
22 januari 2026 · 32 min
Casey Dreier of The Planetary Society joins me to talk about the NASA FY2026 budget, the early days of the Administrator Isaacman era, and how we feel going into Artemis II. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Matt, Fred, Will and Lars from Agile, Kris, Lee, Jan, Frank, Miles O’Brien, Josh from Impulse, Theo and Violet, Ryan, Joakim, Stealth Julian, Heiko, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Better Every Day Studios, Joel, Steve, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat, Warren, Natasha Tsakos, Russell, David, Donald, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Casey Dreier | The Planetary Society
The Planetary Society
You just saved NASA's budget | The Planetary Society
2025 Impact Report | The Planetary Society
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+319: Headlines, December 22, 2025
23 december 2025 · 49 min
A holiday special! Enjoy this week’s episode of Headlines free. It’s an absolute monster episode—way longer than usual Headlines episodes, I promise—but it’s a great example of what you get when you support the show over at mainenginecutoff.com/support. Lees meer
NASA finally—and we really do mean it this time—has a full-time leader - Ars Technica
Agencywide Town Hall with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 - YouTube
Trump commits to Moon landing by 2028, followed by a lunar outpost two years later - Ars Technica
NASA Teams Work MAVEN Spacecraft Signal Loss - NASA Science
NASA Continues MAVEN Spacecraft Recontact Efforts - NASA Science
SpaceX Sets $800 Billion Valuation, Confirms 2026 IPO Plans - Bloomberg
SpaceX $1.5 Trillion Value Target Hinges on Starlink — And Elon - Bloomberg
SpaceX Said to Notify Employees of Quiet Period Ahead of IPO - Bloomberg
In a surprise announcement, Tory Bruno is out as CEO of United Launch Alliance - Ars Technica
Space Development Agency awards $3.5 billion in contracts for missile-tracking satellites - SpaceNews
Chinese astronauts inspect debris-damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft during spacewalk - SpaceNews
Space Station – Off The Earth, For The Earth
NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim, Crewmates Return from Space Station - NASA
After key Russian launch site is damaged, NASA accelerates Dragon supply missions - Ars Technica
R-7 ICBM/Soyuz rocket launch facilities in Baikonur
Launch Roundup: China, Russia, Rocket Lab, ULA join SpaceX in flying this week - NASASpaceFlight.com
Launch Previews: Ariane 6, Falcon 9, Atlas V, and Electron launches highlight busy week - NASASpaceFlight.com
Launch Roundup: International launches fill manifest during last full week of 2025 - NASASpaceFlight.com
China launches 4 times in 4 days, boosting megaconstellation and surveillance assets - SpaceNews
China launches new TJS satellite, commercial Kinetica-1 lofts 9 spacecraft - SpaceNews
Michael Nicolls on X: “When satellite operators …
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T+318: General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force
17 december 2025 · 49 min
Yesterday, I had the chance to visit the Pentagon and sit down with General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations—the head of the United States Space Force. We talk about the service 6 years into its existence, the state of acquisitions, the threats and space environment today, and what the future may hold for the Space Force when it comes to human spaceflight. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Russell, Natasha Tsakos, Will and Lars from Agile, Theo and Violet, David, Matt, Better Every Day Studios, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Josh from Impulse, Stealth Julian, Joakim, Frank, Pat, Joel, Donald, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Joonas, Jan, Steve, Fred, Lee, Kris, Heiko, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
United States Space Force
B. Chance Saltzman > United States Space Force > Display
Space Force roadmap set to define what the service needs and why - SpaceNews
US intel officials “concerned” China will soon master reusable launch - Ars Technica
Asked why we need Golden Dome, the man in charge points to a Hollywood film - Ars Technica
Space Force rolls out new naming scheme for satellites and space weapons - SpaceNews
Andrew Jones on X: “Outrageous images of China's Shijian-26, an apparent new-gen Earth observation satellite, from Maxar. SSD of 1.9 cm.”
Andrew Jones on X: “China's CGST has returned the favour, using its Jilin-1 sats to image a Maxar Worldview Legion 2 satellite.”
Scott Tilley 🇺🇦 🇨🇦 (@coastal8049) / X
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Artwork photo by Blue Orig…
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T+317: Isaacman Renomination Hearing, Starliner Flights Cut, Starship at SLC-37, Zhuque-3 Almost Sticks the Landing, and More (with Stephen Clark)
8 december 2025 · 1 uur
Stephen Clark of Ars Technica joins me to talk about a ton of stories in the news—Jared Isaacman was back in front of Congress, a few Starliner flights have been cut from the ISS manifest, Starship received environmental approval to proceed at SLC-37, Zhuque-3 almost stuck its first landing attempt, the Soyuz launch pad fell apart at Baikonur, and the Space Force has a new mission naming scheme. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Matt, Fred, Kris, Natasha Tsakos, Josh from Impulse, Better Every Day Studios, Joakim, Joel, Ryan, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Heiko, Jan, Theo and Violet, Donald, Pat, Will and Lars from Agile, Lee, Russell, Joonas, Warren, Steve, Frank, Stealth Julian, David, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Author: Stephen Clark - Ars Technica
NASA nominee appears before Congress, defends plans to revamp space agency - Ars Technica
Congress warned that NASA’s current plan for Artemis “cannot work” - Ars Technica
NASA seeks a “warm backup” option as key decision on lunar rover nears - Ars Technica
It’s official: Boeing’s next flight of Starliner will be allowed to carry cargo only - Ars Technica
A spectacular explosion shows China is close to obtaining reusable rockets - Ars Technica
Before a Soyuz launch Thursday someone forgot to secure a 20-ton service platform - Ars Technica
Rivals object to SpaceX’s Starship plans in Florida—who’s interfering with whom? - Ars Technica
SpaceX on X: “We’ve received approval to develop Space Launch Complex-37 for Starship operations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Construction has started. With three launch pads in Florida, Starship will be ready to support America’s national security and Artemis goals as the world’s…”
Attack, defend, pursue—the Space Force’s new naming scheme foretells new era - Ars Technica
The Show
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T+316: New Glenn’s Second Launch, First Landing, and Upgrade Roadmap
26 november 2025 · 30 min
Blue Origin is fresh off an incredible few weeks—a successful second launch and first landing of New Glenn, followed by an exciting unveil of upgrades to the vehicle, including an enormous new version, New Glenn 9x4. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Lee, Natasha Tsakos, Fred, Will and Lars from Agile, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Pat, Heiko, Kris, Jan, Better Every Day Studios, Theo and Violet, Matt, Josh from Impulse, Russell, Joel, Warren, Joonas, Joakim, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Donald, David, Frank, Steve, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket came back home after taking aim at Mars - Ars Technica
Jeff Bezos on X: “Good overview of the landing. We nominally target a few hundred feet away from Jacklyn to avoid a severe impact if engines fail to start or start slowly. We’ll incrementally reduce that conservatism over time. We are all excited and grateful for yesterday…”
New Glenn Update | Blue Origin
Booster 18 suffers anomaly during proof testing - NASASpaceFlight.com
Senate Commerce Committee schedules hearing on Isaacman renomination - SpaceNews
Lawmakers writing NASA’s budget want a cheaper upper stage for the SLS rocket - Ars Technica
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
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T+315: Autonomy in Space (with Simone D’Amico, DJ Bush, and Al Tadros)
11 november 2025 · 1 uur 3 min
Simone D’Amico of Stanford and EraDrive, DJ Bush of NVIDIA, and Al Tadros of Redwire join me to talk about autonomy in space, to get into the specific details of what they’re working on and how it comes together, and what it may do for the industry in the next few years. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Joonas, Russell, Donald, Stealth Julian, Pat, Fred, David, Lee, Frank, Josh from Impulse, Steve, Joel, Joakim, Matt, Natasha Tsakos, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Kris, Theo and Violet, Heiko, Will and Lars from Agile, Jan, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Ryan, Better Every Day Studios, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Episode T+315: Autonomy in Space (with Simone D’Amico, DJ Bush, and Al Tadros) - YouTube
Simone D'Amico | LinkedIn
Center for AEroSpace Autonomy Research (CAESAR)
Stanford spinoff EraDrive claims $1 million NASA contract - SpaceNews
DJ Bush | LinkedIn
How Starcloud Is Bringing Data Centers to Outer Space | NVIDIA Blog
Al Tadros | LinkedIn
Redwire Space | Heritage + Innovation
NASA Starling - Autonomous Tip and Cue in Orbit
NASA Starling - Distributed Optical Navigation
NASA Starling - Autonomous Space Domain Awareness
VISORS - Precise Formation-Flying
Autonomous Spacecraft 3D Model Reconstruction
The Show
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-
T+314: Jockeying for the Artemis 3 Lander, and the NASA Administrator Position
31 oktober 2025 · 35 min
Thinking through the chaos that has ensued over the NASA Administrator role, the Artemis 3 lander acceleration movement, the SpaceX Starship HLS update, and a bit on how we actually got here. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Donald, Stealth Julian, Jan, Theo and Violet, The Astrogators at SEE, Joakim, Steve, Matt, Fred, Lee, Joel, Kris, Ryan, David, Josh from Impulse, Warren, Heiko, Pat, Russell, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Will and Lars from Agile, Natasha Tsakos, Frank, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
SpaceX - Updates
SpaceX teases simplified Starship as alarms sound over Moon landing delays - Ars Technica
Why did NASA’s chief just shake up the agency’s plans to land on the Moon? - Ars Technica
Elon Musk just declared war on NASA’s acting administrator, apparently - Ars Technica
How America fell behind China in the lunar space race—and how it can catch back up - Ars Technica
China completes landing and takeoff test for crewed moon lander - SpaceNews
China completes second hot-fire test for new moon rocket, including engine restarts - SpaceNews
Trump pulls Isaacman nomination for space. Source: “NASA is f***ed.” - Ars Technica
The Show
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T+313: Starlink, Kuiper, Project Bromo, and More (with Caleb Henry)
30 oktober 2025 · 33 min
Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me (in studio!) to talk about Starlink V3, Starlink satellite relay, Kuiper’s rollout, the Airbus-Thales-Leonardo merger, and the future of Iridium. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Heiko, Joonas, Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Russell, Joakim, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Natasha Tsakos, David, Steve, Josh from Impulse, Will and Lars from Agile, Better Every Day Studios, Jan, Fred, Warren, Kris, Pat, Donald, Matt, Frank, Stealth Julian, Ryan, Theo and Violet, Lee, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Caleb Henry (@ChenrySpace) / X
The OneWeb Book | Caleb Henry | Substack
Quilty Space
Satellite operators will soon join airlines in using Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi - Ars Technica
Starlink mini lasers to link Muon Space satellites for near real-time connectivity - SpaceNews
Project Kuiper plots broadband services in five countries by end of March - SpaceNews
Airbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to combine space businesses - SpaceNews
Project Bromo: An Escape Hatch, Not a Fortress
Iridium pulls $1 billion 2030 service revenue goal amid SpaceX’s D2D push - SpaceNews
The Show
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-
T+312: Starship Flight 11, Space Policy, and Priorities (with Miles O’Brien)
17 oktober 2025 · 44 min
Miles O’Brien, science correspondent for PBS News and CNN space analyst, joins me to talk about Starship Flight 11, the current space policy landscape including the ongoing government shutdown, the possible return of Jared Isaacman, and what to do about all the competing budget priorities at NASA. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Joakim, David, Heiko, Ryan, Jan, Kris, Frank, Josh from Impulse, Steve, Russell, Joonas, Joel, Matt, Will and Lars from Agile, Natasha Tsakos, Donald, Lee, Better Every Day Studios, Warren, Theo and Violet, Pat, Fred, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Stealth Julian, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Miles O'Brien Productions - Miles O'Brien
Miles Ahead | Miles O'Brien | Substack
SpaceX finally got exactly what it needed from Starship V2 - Ars Technica
More layoffs at JPL - SpaceNews
Trump, Billionaire Isaacman Said to Meet About Top NASA Job - Bloomberg
Former NASA nominee Jared Isaacman in talks to become agency's chief | Reuters
The Show
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-
T+311: Phil McAlister on Commercial LEO and NASA’s Human Spaceflight Budget
10 oktober 2025 · 43 min
Phil McAlister, former Director of NASA’s Commercial Space Division, joins me to talk about the Commercial LEO Destinations program, the budgetary issues facing NASA and its human spaceflight programs, and to share his perspective on the last (and next) few years in these areas. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Joel, Pat, Will and Lars from Agile, Joakim, Jan, Warren, David, Fred, Better Every Day Studios, Josh from Impulse, Ryan, Natasha Tsakos, Theo and Violet, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Stealth Julian, Donald, Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Russell, Kris, Frank, Steve, Heiko, Lee, Matt, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Phil McAlister | LinkedIn
The Dreaded Gap | LinkedIn
You Can’t Reach the Stars While Chained to Low-Earth Orbit | LinkedIn
No Changes Allowed | LinkedIn
Vast backs new NASA commercial space station strategy - SpaceNews
T+205: Phil McAlister, Director of Commercial Spaceflight at NASA - Main Engine Cut Off
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-
T+310: NASA’s “Prove It” Era
26 september 2025 · 20 min
NASA selected Blue Origin to (maybe) deliver the once-cancelled VIPER rover, modified Sierra Space’s ISS resupply contract which likely puts the nail in the coffin of Dream Chaser, and released the draft of its new commercial space station strategy. All different stories with one message: prove it. But maybe not in a good way. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Jan, Kris, Lee, Will and Lars from Agile, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Josh from Impulse, Joakim, Bob, Donald, Creative Taxi, Frank, Pat, Joonas, Fred, Heiko, Warren, Matt, Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Ryan, Russell, Stealth Julian, Steve, Natasha Tsakos, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
NASA Selects Blue Origin to Deliver VIPER Rover to Moon’s South Pole - NASA
VIPER Might Have A New Ride to the Moon on Blue Origin – SpacePolicyOnline.com
Blue Origin only bidder for new VIPER lander award - SpaceNews
NASA, Sierra Space Modify Commercial Resupply Services Contract - NASA
Sierra’s Dream Chaser is starting to resemble a nightmare - Ars Technica
NASA releases details on revised next phase of commercial space station development - SpaceNews
Vast backs new NASA commercial space station strategy - SpaceNews
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+309: EchoStar’s Spectrum Sale, Starlink’s Financials (with Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space)
11 september 2025 · 43 min
Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me to talk about EchoStar’s spectrum sales and constellation cancellation, SpaceX’s spectrum purchase, and the financials of Starlink. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Bob, Heiko, Creative Taxi, Josh from Impulse, Russell, Donald, Will and Lars from Agile, Matt, Steve, Lee, Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, Natasha Tsakos, The Astrogators at SEE, Better Every Day Studios, Ryan, Kris, Pat, Joakim, Stealth Julian, Warren, Theo and Violet, Jan, Joonas, Fred, David, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Quilty Space (@QuiltySpace) / X
Starlink Financial & Strategic Analysis 2025 1H | Quilty Space
Sign Up Form | Quilty Space
EchoStar sells spectrum to SpaceX, cancels MDA satellite contract - SpaceNews
EchoStar’s $23 billion spectrum sale clears path for direct-to-device constellation - SpaceNews
EchoStar orders initial MDA satellites for $5 billion LEO constellation - SpaceNews
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+308: Chatting with Casey Handmer
27 augustus 2025 · 36 min
Casey Handmer, Founder of Terraform Industries, joins me to talk about the state of NASA in 2025, talent acquisition and retention, productivity, and so much more. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Joakim, Creative Taxi, Heiko, Joel, Frank, Josh from Impulse, The Astrogators at SEE, David, Jan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Theo and Violet, Joonas, Stealth Julian, Donald, Warren, Matt, Pat, Steve, Fred, Bob, Lee, Natasha Tsakos, Will and Lars from Agile, Russell, Better Every Day Studios, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Casey Handmer (@CJHandmer) / X
Casey Handmer
Terraform Industries
NASA Is Worth Saving – Casey Handmer's blog
Episode 170 - Luckily, We Did All the Math (with Casey Handmer) - Off-Nominal
The science behind clean hydrocarbons | The Freethink Interview - YouTube
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+307: Executive Order on Regulatory Reform (with Tom Marotta)
15 augustus 2025 · 31 min
Tom Marotta of The Spaceport Company joins me to talk about the executive order this week focused on commercial space regulatory reform, what problems it seeks to solve, his experience on both sides of those issues, and how we should understand the positioning of the order. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Frank, David, Jan, Josh from Impulse, Steve, Ryan, Joakim, Lee, Creative Taxi, Theo and Violet, Fred, Pat, Donald, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Russell, Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Matt, Natasha Tsakos, Kris, Warren, Heiko, Will and Lars from Agile, Joonas, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Tom Marotta | LinkedIn
The Spaceport Company
Previous appearance: T+259: Tom Marotta, The Spaceport Company - Main Engine Cut Off
Enabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry – The White House
Trump Issues Executive Order on Commercial Space – SpacePolicyOnline.com
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+306: Lunar Outpost (with Michael Moreno, VP of Strategy)
7 augustus 2025 · 42 min
Michael Moreno, VP of Strategy at Lunar Outpost, joins me to talk about what they’ve been up to at the company, the NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract, the idea of services as a business on the Moon, and more. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Lee, Russell, Fred, The Astrogators at SEE, David, Matt, Theo and Violet, Warren, Josh from Impulse, Frank, Pat from KC, Steve, Pat, Creative Taxi, Jan, Stealth Julian, Better Every Day Studios, Kris, Heiko, Donald, Natasha Tsakos, Joel, Joakim, Will and Lars from Agile, Harrison, Joonas, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Bob, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Home | Lunar Outpost
Lunar Voyage 1 Update
Lunar Outpost Becomes First Company to Receive Payment for Space Resources
NASA selects three companies to advance Artemis lunar rover designs - SpaceNews
Lunar Dawn Team Awarded NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle Contract
Lunar Outpost Signs with SpaceX for Starship Moon Mission
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+305: The Starship 36 Explosion, and ESA Policy (with Adrian Beil, NASASpaceflight)
27 juni 2025 · 1 uur 6 min
A special simulcast of this week’s Off-Nominal—the other show I do, if you somehow haven’t heard of it!—because it’s exactly the topic list with exactly the guest I had up next on my list. I’m joined by Adrian Beil of NASASpaceflight to talk about the recent mayhem at Starbase, and to kick around European space policy topics in the run up to the ESA Ministerial later this year. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Creative Taxi, David, Donald, Matt, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Warren, Bob, Russell, Pat from KC, Pat, Lee, Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Ryan, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, Natasha Tsakos, Heiko, Will and Lars from Agile, Fred, Kris, Stealth Julian, Joakim, Theo and Violet, Jan, Steve, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Adrian Beil (@BCCarCounters) / Twitter
Adrian Beil, Author at NASASpaceFlight.com
Off-Nominal - YouTube
Episode 202 - Rapidly Adjusting (with Adrian Beil) - YouTube
Following the Loss of Ship 36, SpaceX now Focuses on Rebuilding Masseys - NASASpaceFlight.com
Jack Beyer on X: “Close up slow motion footage of the unexpected event(s) during Northrop Grumman’s BOLE DM-1 stb test today.”
Northrop Grumman tests SLS Block 2 BOLE booster in Utah; nozzle issue seen - NASASpaceFlight.com
ESA studying impacts of proposed NASA budget cuts - SpaceNews
ESA moving ahead with ‘resilience from space’ satellite imaging program - SpaceNews
The Show
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Artwork photo by NASA
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine…
-
T+304: The Musk/Trump Breakup, Jared Isaacman’s Withdrawn Nomination, and Starship Flight 9 (with Lori Garver)
7 juni 2025 · 50 min
Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy Administrator, joins me to talk about the chaos of the last week: the withdraw of Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA Administrator, Starship Flight 9, and of course, the wild public breakup of Elon Musk and President Trump. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—David, Donald, Matt, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Warren, Bob, Russell, Pat from KC, Pat, Lee, Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Ryan, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, Natasha Tsakos, Heiko, Will and Lars from Agile, Fred, Kris, Stealth Julian, Joakim, Theo and Violet, Jan, Steve, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Musk-Trump dispute includes threats to SpaceX contracts - SpaceNews
Isaacman: people with ‘axes to grind’ about Musk caused withdrawn NASA nomination - SpaceNews
White House to withdraw Isaacman nomination to lead NASA - SpaceNews
NASA Copes with Details of $6 Billion Budget Cut, Leadership Uncertainty – SpacePolicyOnline.com
NASA withdraws support for conferences - SpaceNews
Cruz seeks $10 billion for NASA programs in budget reconciliation bill - SpaceNews
Starship breaks up on reentry after loss of attitude control - SpaceNews
Status Update on ispace Mission 2 SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon | ispace
The Show
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Artwork photo by NASA
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+303: The Trump 2024 Transition (with Mark Albrecht)
7 mei 2025 · 54 min
Mark Albrecht joins me to talk about his time on the Trump 2024 Transition Team, the thinking behind some of the policy decisions we’re starting to see in the space and national security spheres, and more. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, The Astrogators at SEE, Will and Lars from Agile, Theo and Violet, Frank, Russell, Kris, Bob, Lee, Pat, Ryan, Fred, Matt, Heiko, Pat from KC, Joakim, Donald, Josh from Impulse, Stealth Julian, Jan, Steve, Better Every Day Studios, Warren, David, Joel, Natasha Tsakos, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Mark Albrecht (@MarkAlbrecht68) / X
Falling Back To Earth: A First Hand Account Of The Great Space Race And The End Of The Cold War: Albrecht, Mark: 9780615447094: Amazon.com: Books
Mark Albrecht on X: “Today concludes my service for the 47 transition team (4th time) We have charted a bold, aggressive, and urgent agenda for civil and national security space based on the direction and guidance of President Trump. It will be a golden era of US Space exploration, innovation…”
Second Trump administration begins with confusion on acting NASA leadership - SpaceNews
White House budget proposal would phase out SLS and Orion, scale back ISS operations - SpaceNews
NASA budget proposal draws strong criticism - SpaceNews
Space Force chief makes case for increased funding before House panel - SpaceNews
The Show
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Artwork photo by NASA
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+302: A Tour of Marotta Controls
5 mei 2025 · 1 uur 36 min
We take a tour of Marotta Controls in Montville, New Jersey, to see how they work, how they develop, produce, and test products at rate, and we learn about the most feared topic in space—valves! Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Heiko, Donald, Stealth Julian, Warren, Kris, Frank, Steve, Bob, Better Every Day Studios, The Astrogators at SEE, Joakim, Fred, Matt, Pat from KC, Natasha Tsakos, Joel, Theo and Violet, Russell, Jan, Pat, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Will and Lars from Agile, Lee, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Controls Engineering | Control System Company | Marotta
Space Controls | Spacecraft Control Systems | Marotta
Marotta’s post with photos of my tour
Brian’s photo of a thruster firing
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+301: Hypersonics and Constellations (with Caleb Henry)
2 mei 2025 · 42 min
Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me to talk megaconstellations, the hypersonics industry, and more. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Heiko, Donald, Stealth Julian, Warren, Kris, Frank, Steve, Bob, Better Every Day Studios, The Astrogators at SEE, Joakim, Fred, Matt, Pat from KC, Natasha Tsakos, Joel, Theo and Violet, Russell, Jan, Pat, Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Will and Lars from Agile, Lee, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Caleb Henry (@ChenrySpace) / X
The OneWeb Book | Caleb Henry | Substack
Quilty Space
Armed services committees propose $150 billion funding boost for defense - SpaceNews
Ursa Major wins $28.5 million Air Force contract to flight-test Draper engine for hypersonic use - SpaceNews
United Airlines bumps GEO operators off fleet for Starlink Wi-Fi - SpaceNews
Free Starlink Wi-Fi now on most Hawaiian Airlines transpacific fleet - SpaceNews
Atlas launches first operational Project Kuiper satellites - SpaceNews
Project Kuiper on X: “Take a look at this @ULAlaunch clip of the first Kuiper satellites being released into low Earth orbit approximately 280 miles above the planet. Deployment takes place over a 15-minute period after launch, with satellites released three at a time from the dispenser system.”
Here’s your first look at Project Kuiper’s low-cost customer terminals
Assessing Kuiper’s Satellite Manufacturing Delays — Quilty Space
Elon vs EchoStar: Starlink’s RF Snitch Mission, Explained | QuickTakes — Quilty Space
The Show
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-
T+300: Isaacman’s Confirmation Hearing, NASA and NOAA Budgets, NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 Awards
18 april 2025 · 27 min
Jared Isaacman was in Congress for a confirmation hearing for his nomination as NASA Administrator, which was followed up by reports of huge proposed budget cuts at NASA and NOAA. And as expected, SpaceX, ULA, and Blue Origin all received awards for NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—nt, Frank, Joonas, Will and Lars from Agile, Pat from KC, Joakim, Josh from Impulse, Pat, Bob, Warren, Heiko, Steve, Theo and Violet, David, Kris, Donald, Joel, Fred, Jan, Lee, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, Ryan, Matt, Stealth Julian, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Better Every Day Studios, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Isaacman Insists NASA Can Pursue Moon and Mars Goals Simultaneously – SpacePolicyOnline.com
Trump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA - Ars Technica
Planetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Bacon & Chu Statement on White House’s Proposed Budget Cuts to NASA Science | U.S. Representative Don Bacon
NOAA budget proposal would affect weather satellite, other space programs - SpaceNews
SpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin win $13.7 billion in U.S. military launch contracts through 2029 - SpaceNews
Space Force reassigns GPS satellite launch from ULA to SpaceX - SpaceNews
SpaceX secures majority of NSSL Phase 3 fiscal year 2025 missions - SpaceNews
The Show
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Artwork photo by Firefly
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+299: Starliner, According to Butch and Suni (with Eric Berger)
3 april 2025 · 29 min
Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about his recent interviews with Butch and Suni in the aftermath of their flight, the update NASA put out about Starliner, and how it all lands from where we are now. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Ryan, David, Theo and Violet, Fred, Steve, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Pat, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, Joakim, Will and Lars from Agile, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, Russell, Bob, Donald, Pat from KC, Jan, Heiko, Stealth Julian, Lee, Joel, Better Every Day Studios, Kris, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / X
Eric Berger | Ars Technica
Starliner’s flight to the space station was far wilder than most of us thought - Ars Technica
NASA to put Starliner’s thrusters through an extensive workout before next launch - Ars Technica
NASA likely to significantly delay the launch of Crew 9 due to Starliner issues - Ars Technica
The Show
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-
T+298: Eric Schmidt Takes Over at Relativity, Rocket Lab Plans Mynaric Acquisition
14 maart 2025 · 20 min
Eric Schmidt has taken a majority stake in Relativity and will serve as its CEO, so this is a good time to check in on their plans. Rocket Lab is planning to acquire Mynaric, and I have a theory I felt like I needed to float. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Matt, Donald, Frank, David, Lee, Will and Lars from Agile, Kris, Pat from KC, Joel, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Joakim, Steve, Josh from Impulse, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Warren, Better Every Day Studios, Ryan, Heiko, Joonas, Pat, Jan, Fred, Stealth Julian, Theo and Violet, Russell, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Eric Schmidt Joins Relativity Space as C.E.O. - The New York Times
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is the new leader of Relativity Space - Ars Technica
Relativity Space makes significant progress on Terran R; flight hardware in production - NASASpaceFlight.com
Relativity names Eric Schmidt as CEO as it updates Terran R development - SpaceNews
To avoid the Panama Canal, Relativity Space is moving some operations to Texas - Ars Technica
Rocket Lab to expand into laser communications with Mynaric acquisition - SpaceNews
The Show
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Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+297: Firefly Blue Ghost 1, Intuitive Machines IM-2, SpaceX Starship Flight 8 (with Josh Dinner)
7 maart 2025 · 52 min
Josh Dinner of Space.com joins me to talk about a wild week in space—Firefly’s Blue Ghost 1, Intuitive Machines’ IM-2, SpaceX’s Starship Flight 8, Rocket Lab announcements, and more. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Stealth Julian, Kris, Heiko, Pat, Jan, Warren, Josh from Impulse, Ryan, Lee, Joel, David, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Matt, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile, Joonas, Donald, Bob, Frank, Joakim, Steve, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Josh Dinner (@JoshDinner) / X
Articles by Josh Dinner, Staff Writer, Spaceflight | Space
IM-2 lunar lander mission ends - SpaceNews
AstroForge | Odin't: A Complete Debrief of Our Deep Space Mission
Starship destroyed on second consecutive test flight - SpaceNews
Starship’s Eighth Flight Test - SpaceX - Launches
Rocket Lab Announces Flatellite: A New Satellite Designed for Mass Manufacture and Tailored for Large Constellations | Rocket Lab
Rocket Lab Reveals Ocean Platform for Neutron Rocket Landings at Sea | Rocket Lab
The Show
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-
T+296: Jim Bridenstine on Space Policy
3 maart 2025 · 26 min
Former Congressman and NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine joins me to talk space policy, then and now: CLPS, Commercial Space Stations, Artemis, international partnerships, and more. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Stealth Julian, Kris, Heiko, Pat, Jan, Warren, Josh from Impulse, Ryan, Lee, Joel, David, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Matt, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile, Joonas, Donald, Bob, Frank, Joakim, Steve, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Home | The Artemis Group
Touchdown! Carrying NASA Science, Firefly’s Blue Ghost Lands on Moon - NASA
Firefly’s Blue Ghost 1 lands on the moon - SpaceNews
Blue Ghost Mission 1 - Firefly Aerospace
Falcon 9 launches second Intuitive Machines lunar lander - SpaceNews
House Committee Backs Moon-to-Mars, But Changes May Be Needed – SpacePolicyOnline.com
The Show
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-
T+295: The Economics of Space (with Matthew Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau)
19 februari 2025 · 41 min
Matthew Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau join me to talk about their new book, Space to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier. We talk about the economics driving the space industry today, how traditional economic theories apply—or not!—to the industry, and how to use economics as a lens to shape your business and policy approach to the future. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Josh from Impulse, Russell, Joakim, Ryan, Lee, Fred, Pat from KC, Steve, David, Stealth Julian, Joel, Jan, Frank, Matt, Bob, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Joonas, Donald, Warren, Theo and Violet, Kris, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), The Astrogators at SEE, Will and Lars from Agile, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Space to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier: Weinzierl, Matthew, Rosseau, Brendan: 9781647827168: Amazon.com: Books
Economics of Space | Economics of Space
The Show
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-
T+294: Elon Musk and the Trump Administration, Potential SLS Cancellation (with Eric Berger)
10 februari 2025 · 42 min
Eric Berger of Ars Technica joins me to talk about Elon Musk and the whirlwind start of the second Trump administration, and what the future may hold for SLS. Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 31 executive producers—Will and Lars from Agile, Fred, The Astrogators at SEE, Ryan, Stealth Julian, Warren, Joakim, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), David, Frank, Lee, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Joel, Matt, Steve, Pat, Bob, Pat from KC, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Donald, Jan, Russell, Kris, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / X
Eric Berger | Ars Technica
Boeing has informed its employees of uncertainty in future SLS contracts - Ars Technica
NASA will swap Dragon spacecraft on the ground to return Butch and Suni sooner - Ars Technica
Concern about SpaceX influence at NASA grows with new appointee - Ars Technica
The Show
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Artwork photo by Blue Origin
Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
-
T+293: Jonathan’s Space Report Library Transition (with Jonathan McDowell)
24 januari 2025 · 14 min
Jonathan McDowell—astrophysicist at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and the namesake of the McDowell Line at 80 kilometers—joins me to talk about his fundraiser to move his epic space library to a new, permanent home. Let’s help him out! Lees meer
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Frank, Lee, Joel, Theo and Violet, Harrison, Josh from Impulse, Matt, Warren, Will and Lars from Agile, Donald, Russell, Kris, Fred, Better Every Day Studios, Pat from KC, Joakim, Steve, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Ryan, Pat, David, Stealth Julian, Bob, The Astrogators at SEE, Jan, Joonas, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.
Topics
Fundraiser by Jonathan McDowell : Fund Jonathan's Space Report Library Transition
Jonathan's Space Report
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589.bsky.social) — Bluesky
Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) / X
The edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line - ScienceDirect
T+105: Jonathan McDowell - Main Engine Cut Off
The Show
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