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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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @[email protected] on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @[email protected] on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @[email protected] on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

Artemis II is underway with a spectacular first day. 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 The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @[email protected] on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @[email protected] on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by NASA/John Kraus Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @[email protected] on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by NASA/John Kraus Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @[email protected] on Mastodon Listen to MECO Headlines Listen to Off-Nominal Join the Off-Nominal Discord Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Artwork photo by NASA/John Kraus Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 - BloombergSpaceX-xAI Deal Blurs Musk’s Once-Clear Space Exploration Mission - BloombergLoren Brichter, a High Priest of App Design - WSJBlue Origin to Pause New Shepard Flights for No Less Than Two Years | Blue OriginNASA Conducts Artemis II Fuel Test, Eyes March for Launch Opportunity   - NASAThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by NASA/John KrausWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 - NASAFinal Steps Underway for NASA’s First Crewed Artemis Moon Mission - NASAIs Orion’s heat shield really safe? New NASA chief conducts final review on eve of flight. - Ars TechnicaBlue Origin makes impressive strides with reuse—next launch will refly booster - Ars TechnicaNew Glenn-3 to Launch AST SpaceMobile’s BlueBird Satellite | Blue OriginBlue 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 TechnicaFirst 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 TechnicaBlue 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Blue OriginWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 SocietyThe Planetary SocietyYou just saved NASA's budget | The Planetary Society2025 Impact Report | The Planetary SocietyThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Blue OriginWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. NASA finally—and we really do mean it this time—has a full-time leader - Ars TechnicaAgencywide Town Hall with NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, Friday, Dec. 19, 2025 - YouTubeTrump commits to Moon landing by 2028, followed by a lunar outpost two years later - Ars TechnicaNASA Teams Work MAVEN Spacecraft Signal Loss - NASA ScienceNASA Continues MAVEN Spacecraft Recontact Efforts - NASA ScienceSpaceX Sets $800 Billion Valuation, Confirms 2026 IPO Plans - BloombergSpaceX $1.5 Trillion Value Target Hinges on Starlink — And Elon - BloombergSpaceX Said to Notify Employees of Quiet Period Ahead of IPO - BloombergIn a surprise announcement, Tory Bruno is out as CEO of United Launch Alliance - Ars TechnicaSpace Development Agency awards $3.5 billion in contracts for missile-tracking satellites - SpaceNewsChinese astronauts inspect debris-damaged Shenzhou-20 spacecraft during spacewalk - SpaceNewsSpace Station – Off The Earth, For The EarthNASA Astronaut Jonny Kim, Crewmates Return from Space Station - NASAAfter key Russian launch site is damaged, NASA accelerates Dragon supply missions - Ars TechnicaR-7 ICBM/Soyuz rocket launch facilities in BaikonurLaunch Roundup: China, Russia, Rocket Lab, ULA join SpaceX in flying this week - NASASpaceFlight.comLaunch Previews: Ariane 6, Falcon 9, Atlas V, and Electron launches highlight busy week - NASASpaceFlight.comLaunch Roundup: International launches fill manifest during last full week of 2025 - NASASpaceFlight.comChina launches 4 times in 4 days, boosting megaconstellation and surveillance assets - SpaceNewsChina launches new TJS satellite, commercial Kinetica-1 lofts 9 spacecraft - SpaceNewsMichael Nicolls on X: “When satellite operators do not share ephemeris for their satellites, dangerously close approaches can occur in space.   A few days ago, 9 satellites were deployed from a launch from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Northwestern China. As far as we know, no coordination or…”China launches experimental cargo spacecraft, opaque tech demo mission and remote sensing satellite - SpaceNewsAndrew Jones on X: “Turns out there were two male mice launched on the DEAR-5 cargo spacecraft for neuroscience research. Spacecraft is planned to operate in orbit for one year and is not rated for reentry, so it's game over at some point for the rodents. Video is prelaunch.”Rocket Lab launches JAXA tech demo satellite - SpaceNewsAriane 6 launches Galileo navigation satellites - SpaceNewsThese are the flying discs the government wants you to know about - Ars TechnicaBlue Origin flies first wheelchair user to space - SpaceNewsRocket Lab wraps up record launch year - SpaceNewsJapan’s H3 suffers second-stage anomaly, QZS-5 satellite lost - SpaceNewsAndrew Jones on XChina launches new Guowang satellites, Long March 12A launch and landing attempt date set - SpaceNewsKeep an eye on upcoming launches with rocketlaunch.live.

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. 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 ForceB. Chance Saltzman > United States Space Force > DisplaySpace Force roadmap set to define what the service needs and why - SpaceNewsUS intel officials “concerned” China will soon master reusable launch - Ars TechnicaAsked why we need Golden Dome, the man in charge points to a Hollywood film - Ars TechnicaSpace Force rolls out new naming scheme for satellites and space weapons - SpaceNewsAndrew 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) / XThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Blue OriginWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 TechnicaNASA nominee appears before Congress, defends plans to revamp space agency - Ars TechnicaCongress warned that NASA’s current plan for Artemis “cannot work” - Ars TechnicaNASA seeks a “warm backup” option as key decision on lunar rover nears - Ars TechnicaIt’s official: Boeing’s next flight of Starliner will be allowed to carry cargo only - Ars TechnicaA spectacular explosion shows China is close to obtaining reusable rockets - Ars TechnicaBefore a Soyuz launch Thursday someone forgot to secure a 20-ton service platform - Ars TechnicaRivals object to SpaceX’s Starship plans in Florida—who’s interfering with whom? - Ars TechnicaSpaceX 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 TechnicaThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by Blue OriginWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 TechnicaJeff 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 OriginBooster 18 suffers anomaly during proof testing - NASASpaceFlight.comSenate Commerce Committee schedules hearing on Isaacman renomination - SpaceNewsLawmakers writing NASA’s budget want a cheaper upper stage for the SLS rocket - Ars TechnicaThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by JAXAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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) - YouTubeSimone D'Amico | LinkedInCenter for AEroSpace Autonomy Research (CAESAR)Stanford spinoff EraDrive claims $1 million NASA contract - SpaceNewsDJ Bush | LinkedInHow Starcloud Is Bringing Data Centers to Outer Space | NVIDIA BlogAl Tadros | LinkedInRedwire Space | Heritage + InnovationNASA Starling - Autonomous Tip and Cue in OrbitNASA Starling - Distributed Optical NavigationNASA Starling - Autonomous Space Domain AwarenessVISORS - Precise Formation-FlyingAutonomous Spacecraft 3D Model ReconstructionThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] on MastodonListen to MECO HeadlinesListen to Off-NominalJoin the Off-Nominal DiscordSubscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhereSubscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off NewsletterArtwork photo by JAXAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works