Main Engine Cut Off

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. 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 Record Revenue and Record Backlog, Guides To Another Record Revenue Quarter in Q3 2026 - Rocket Lab Rocket Lab Unveils GHOST Deployable Launch System to Enable Responsive Space Missions Worldwide - Rocket Lab Firefly Aerospace Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results With Record Revenue Of $117.7 Million, Up 659% Year-Over-Year - Firefly Aerospace Tank problem delays first RFA launch - SpaceNews Relativity Space engine integration milestone for Terran R first stage - NASASpaceflight The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 Zhou Quan Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 Zhou Quan Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 Zhou Quan Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 SpaceX Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 SpaceX Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 SpaceX Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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

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. 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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

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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 - 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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

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 - 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 Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 Blue Origin Work 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 Society The Planetary Society You just saved NASA's budget | The Planetary Society 2025 Impact Report | The Planetary Society The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack ! Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com Follow @WeHaveMECO Follow @meco@spacey.space 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 Blue Origin Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works