Main Engine Cut Off

I wanted to spend some time breaking down a few news items from last week that may be leading indicators of trends for 2019: layoffs at Stratolaunch, Tethers Unlimited, and SpaceX, and Relativity signed a lease for Launch Complex 16 at Cape Canaveral. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 35 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, Robb, Tim Dodd the Everyday Astronaut, Frank, and six anonymous—and 216 other supporters on Patreon. Stratolaunch space venture cuts back sharply on operations – GeekWire Tethers Unlimited lays off 20 percent of staff due to NASA shutdown – GeekWire SpaceX laying off 10 percent of its workforce - SpaceNews.com In blow to Los Angeles, SpaceX is moving some Mars spaceship and booster work to Texas - Los Angeles Times Relativity to Operate Cape Canaveral Launch Complex 16 - Main Engine Cut Off Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

Chris Gebhardt of NASASpaceflight joins me to talk all things SpaceX: Starship and its upcoming hopper tests, DM-1 and the government shutdown, and more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, Robb, Tim Dodd the Everyday Astronaut, and six anonymous—and 213 other supporters on Patreon. Chris G - NSF (@ChrisG_NSF) | Twitter NASASpaceFlight.com SpaceX gearing up for Starship tests at Boca Chica – NASASpaceFlight.com Falcon 9 with Dragon 2 rolls out for DM-1 dry dress rehearsal at 39A – NASASpaceFlight.com Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

This month I tackle questions on future space architectures, companies working in space right now, and finish with a 2018 Top 10 ranking. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, Robb, Tim Dodd the Everyday Astronaut, and six anonymous—and 208 other supporters on Patreon. Episode T+82: Jon Goff, Altius Space Machines - Main Engine Cut Off Neumann Space - Connecting humanity to the stars Neumann Space Exec on a New Potential Use for Orbital Debris - Via Satellite Tethers Unlimited Home Page Vulcan-Centaur Performance Figures Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

Jonathan McDowell joins me to talk about his recent paper proposing 80 kilometers, rather than 100, as a more appropriate boundary of the edge of space. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, Robb, Tim Dodd the Everyday Astronaut, and six anonymous—and 205 other supporters on Patreon. Jonathan’s Space Home Page Jonathan McDowell (@planet4589) | Twitter The edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line - ScienceDirect Jonathan’s Space Report Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

Jake Robins of WeMartians joins me to talk InSight, Mars EDL, and Mars 2020. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, Robb, and six anonymous—and 203 other supporters on Patreon. Jake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | Twitter WeMartians Podcast 51 - Entry, Descent, and Landing - WeMartians Podcast 47 - Recovering Opportunity (feat. Mike Seibert) - WeMartians Podcast 52 - Comin' up Jezero (feat. Tim Goudge) - WeMartians Podcast Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

NASA announced the nine companies that will be competing for Commercial Lunar Payload Services missions. I share some thoughts on the program overall, and discuss what we know about each company. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, Robb, and seven anonymous—and 200 other supporters on Patreon. NASA Announces New Partnerships for Commercial Lunar Payload Delivery | NASA Draft Concepts for Commercial Lunar Landers | NASA Deep Space Systems Aerospace Engineering NASA Homepage | Draper Firefly Aerospace Moon Express | Redefining Possible ORBITBeyond Home | Astrobotic intuitivemachines Masten Space Systems Lockheed Martin Corporation | Lockheed Martin Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

This month for Q&A, we try to figure out what the hell is up with DM-1, hit a few questions about launch, and talk through a few space development topics. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, and seven anonymous—and 201 other supporters on Patreon. NASA program to send astronauts to space station facing more delays Secret Rocket Company Could Bring Jobs, Investment To Space Coast - Space - 90.7 WMFE PLD Space, after ESA input, doubles lift capacity of smallsat launcher - SpaceNews.com New Glenn Payload User’s Guide via NASASpaceflight Forums 50 - The Journey to Mars is Hyperbolic (feat. Mark Wallace) - WeMartians Podcast Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

As I was recording yesterday’s show about Starlink, SpaceX filed an application with the FCC for some changes to the Starlink plan. I read through the report and it confirms some of what I talked about yesterday, so thought it was worth an update. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, and eight anonymous—and 195 other supporters on Patreon. Episode T+100: Midterms, and a Thought on Starlink - Main Engine Cut Off Application for Fixed Satellite Service by Space Exploration Holdings, LLC SAT-MOD-20181108-00083 Attachment A: Technical Information To Supplement Schedule S (PDF, 5 MB) Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

I share some space-focused takeaways from the US midterm elections and a thought that I had about recent Starlink reports. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, and eight anonymous—and 194 other supporters on Patreon. Midterms and Space - Main Engine Cut Off What the 2018 midterms mean for NASA and planetary science | The Planetary Society Culberson loses as Democrats win House; Nelson losing Senate reelection - SpaceNews.com Musk shakes up SpaceX in race to make satellite launch window: sources | Reuters SpaceX seeks $750 million leveraged loan | Reuters SpaceX circulates price guidance on $750 million term loan | Reuters TMF Associates blog — Fake it till you make it? Low Earth Orbit Visualization | LeoLabs Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

This month, I take on questions about small launch, future space ventures, and the Boeing/SLS saga/drama. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producers—Kris, Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Jamison, Nadim, Peter, Donald, Lee, Jasper, Chris, Warren, Bob, Russell, John, Moritz, Joel, Jan, David, Grant, Mike, David, Mints, Joonas, and eight anonymous—and 191 other supporters on Patreon. ISS schedule slips Dragon launch to May 19 - future manifest outlook - NASASpaceFlight.com Rocket Lab | Space is now open for business | Rocket Lab Virgin Orbit Firefly Aerospace Relativity Space Vega C - Arianespace Vector – A Revolution Is Upon Us, Opening Up The High Frontier To Innovators. And Vector Is Leading The Way. ABL Space Systems Rocket Lab selects Wallops Flight Facility for US launch site | Rocket Lab Episode T+87: Rocket Lab Launch Complex 2 - Main Engine Cut Off ConsenSys Acquires Planetary Resources | Planetary Resources Deep Space Industries | Deep Space Industries Moon Express Signs Memorandum Of Understanding With The Canadian Space Agency - Moon Express NASA’s plasma rocket making progress toward a 100-hour firing | Ars Technica A shadowy op-ed campaign is now smearing SpaceX in space cities | Ars Technica NASA inspector general sharply criticizes SLS core stage development - SpaceNews.com Main Engine Cut Off is creating a podcast and blog about spaceflight and exploration. | Patreon Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Listen to MECO Headlines 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 Buy shirts and Rocket Socks from the Main Engine Cut Off Shop Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon