Main Engine Cut Off

Rand Simberg joins me to talk about his recent trip to the Space Tech Expo, the dawning of the age of in-space manufacturing, the future of SLS and Orion, the National Space Council, and a lot more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 12 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Laszlo, Jamison, Guinevere, and four anonymous—and 50 other supporters on Patreon. Rand Simberg Transterrestrial Musings Safe Is Not An Option: Overcoming The Futile Obsession With Getting Everyone Back Alive That Is Killing Our Expansion Into Space Safe Is Not An Option on Amazon Space Tech Expo USA Loser of  ULA’s Vulcan engine downselect will likely lose Air Force funding - SpaceNews.com NASA inspector questions why agency built rocket test stands in Alabama | Ars Technica Virgin Orbit on Twitter The Long Space Age, by Alexander MacDonald DARPA selects Boeing for spaceplane project - SpaceNews.com Thoughts on XS-1 - Main Engine Cut Off Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Play, Stitcher, 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

Last week was rough for the Space Launch System. An issue with weld tooling was discovered, with some serious consequences, and then a LOX tank dome was dropped and damaged beyond repair. To top it off, NASA announced that EM-1 will fly without crew, and is delayed until 2019. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 12 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Laszlo, Jamison, Guinevere, and four anonymous—and 46 other supporters on Patreon. NASA will not put a crew on EM-1, cites cost – not safety – as main reason | NASASpaceFlight.com SLS Core Stage team recovering from consequences of weld pin change | NASASpaceFlight.com NASA investigating damaged SLS tank section - SpaceNews.com Options for Staging Orbits in Cis-Lunar Space (PDF, 4.7MB) The Deep Space Gateway, Cislunar Staging Orbits, and Momentum - Main Engine Cut Off Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Play, Stitcher, 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

Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica, joins me to talk SLS/Orion, New Space vs. Old Space, space policy in the Trump administration, and why the fight might not be settled until 2020. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 10 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Laszlo, and four anonymous—and 46 other supporters on Patreon. Eric Berger (@SciGuySpace) | Twitter Eric Berger | Ars Technica Senior official: NASA will delay first flight of new SLS rocket until 2019 | Ars Technica EM-1 Officially Slips to 2019 - Main Engine Cut Off New Commercial Space Launch Competitiveness Act Coming Soon™ - Main Engine Cut Off Inside NASA’s daring $8 billion plan to finally find extraterrestrial life | Ars Technica The world’s two most powerful telescopes are glorious—and vulnerable | Ars Technica Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Google Play, Stitcher, 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 the award date approaches for the 2018 Air Force launch vehicle development contracts, we keep hearing from Congress about how they would like to see it go. And I discuss the future of Antares and the Next-Generation Launch Vehicle in light of the continuing flights of Cygnus on Atlas V. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 9 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, and four anonymous—and 42 other supporters on Patreon. House Members Ask Air Force to Fund Vehicles, Not Components - Main Engine Cut Off House members ask Pentagon to stay the course on launch vehicle development - SpaceNews.com Thornberry Walks Back Vulcan Intervention - Main Engine Cut Off The Alabama Launch Alliance - Main Engine Cut Off Cygnus, Antares, Atlas V, and NGL - Main Engine Cut Off Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, 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

SpaceX made history this week by launching SES-10 with a previously-flown first stage. I discuss implications of this achievement, the things we learned from Elon Musk in the post-flight press briefing, and the doubters, as always. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 8 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, and three anonymous—and 41 other supporters on Patreon. SES-10 Hosted Webcast - YouTube Press event with Elon Musk - Everyday Astronaut SES, SpaceX, and the Steady Beat of Progress - Main Engine Cut Off One More Step - Main Engine Cut Off SpaceX’s reusability effort faces one more big challenge — Space Intel Report Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, or elsewhere Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

The last two weeks have been filled with a bunch of smaller stories—SpaceX’s GPS III bid win and upcoming SES-10 launch, ULA’s decision on Vulcan’s engines and Congress’ potential meddling, and the ISS beyond 2024. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 6 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, and two anonymous—and 39 other supporters on Patreon. SpaceX Wins GPS III Launch, More Info on Phase 1A - Main Engine Cut Off Issue #15 - Main Engine Cut Off The Alabama Launch Alliance - Main Engine Cut Off Thornberry Walks Back Vulcan Intervention - Main Engine Cut Off BE-4 Hydrostatic Bearings - Main Engine Cut Off Space Subcommittee Hearing- The ISS after 2024: Options and Impacts | Committee on Science, Space, and Technology Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, or elsewhere Subscribe to Main Engine Cut Off Weekly Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

This week, Blue Origin shed some more light on New Glenn—by way of an animation, launch agreements, and a talk by Jeff Bezos at Satellite 2017—and the first fully-assembled BE-4 shipped to their test site in Texas for a hot firing. I discuss the new details we learned and how New Glenn will fit into the industry in the 2020s. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 6 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, and two anonymous—and 36 other supporters on Patreon. Introducing New Glenn - YouTube New Glenn Specs, Customers, and More - Main Engine Cut Off Eutelsat signs up for Blue Origin’s New Glenn launcher - Eutelsat Corporate Blue Origin on Twitter: “Five more launches for #NewGlenn! Excited to announce our second commercial customer #OneWebForAll” Jeff Bezos on Twitter: “1st BE-4 engine fully assembled. 2nd and 3rd following close behind. #GradatimFerociter” Decision on Vulcan engine could slip to 2017 - SpaceNews.com Blue Origin Sheds a Bit of Light on Its Rocket Program - Commercial Spacecraft - Jeff Bezos - The New York Times - The New York Times (January, 2007!) The Delta Clipper Experimental Archive Delta Clipper Experimental Advanced (DCXA) Reusable Launch Vehicle - YouTube Details on Blue Origin Launch Site and Recovery - Main Engine Cut Off SpaceX Gets “Partial Win” in Blue Origin Patent Dispute Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, or elsewhere Subscribe to Main Engine Cut Off Weekly Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

This week is all about #hotdrama, with two surprise media briefings: one from NASA on a potential crewed EM-1, and one from SpaceX on a privately-crewed journey around the Moon—riding on a Dragon 2 and Falcon Heavy—at the end of 2018. I discuss the implications of both, and go on a rant about SpaceX and “focus.” This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 5 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, and one anonymous—and 34 other supporters on Patreon. NASA study to examine crewed SLS/Orion mission in 2019 - SpaceNews.com NASA measuring risks and “significant” cost of crew on maiden SLS launch | Ars Technica SpaceX to Send Privately Crewed Dragon Spacecraft Beyond the Moon Next Year | SpaceX If you think NASA is frustrated with SpaceX, you’re probably right | Ars Technica Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, or elsewhere Subscribe to Main Engine Cut Off Weekly Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

Robert Lightfoot, the Acting NASA Administrator, sent a memo to the agency on the possibility of putting a crew on EM-1. I discuss the potential fallout from this idea and where the SLS/Orion program may be heading in the future. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 5 executive producers—Pat O, Matt, Jorge, Brad, and one anonymous—and 31 other supporters on Patreon. Acting NASA Administrator Lightfoot Memo: Agency Update – Feb. 15, 2017 A bolder, risk-taking NASA? Agency looking at Orion crew launch in 2019 | Ars Technica NASA developing contingency plan for commercial crew delays - SpaceNews.com S.2617 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): MANIFEST for Human Spaceflight Act of 2016 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress Issue #14 - Main Engine Cut Off The Intricate Dance of Orion, SLS, Commercial Crew, and Soyuz - Main Engine Cut Off The NASA-Boeing-Soyuz Transaction - Main Engine Cut Off Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, or elsewhere Subscribe to Main Engine Cut Off Weekly Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon

This week, NASA officially announced that NanoRacks will be adding an airlock onto the International Space Station to add capabilities and capacity to their already-up-and-running business. That announcement, along with some early insight into NASA policy in 2017, got me thinking about commercial opportunities within government programs, beyond Commercial Cargo and Crew. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 4 executive producers—Pat O, Matt Giraitis, Jorge Perez, and one anonymous—and 28 other supporters on Patreon. NASA Announces Acceptance of NanoRacks Airlock Proposal - Main Engine Cut Off T+20: Mike Johnson, Chief Designer at NanoRacks on NanoRacks’ History, NextSTEP, and Wet Workshops - Main Engine Cut Off Issue #13 - Main Engine Cut Off NextSTEP Pushes Forward to Ground Prototypes - Main Engine Cut Off NASA Releases RFI for EM-2 Payload - Main Engine Cut Off Video from Orbital ATK Featuring Cygnus-Derived Habitats - Main Engine Cut Off Email your thoughts and comments to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Subscribe on iTunes, Overcast, or elsewhere Subcribe to Main Engine Cut Off Weekly Support Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon