Anthony Colangelo

Main Engine Cut Off

A Natural Sciences , Science and Technology podcast

#186 in Science · 🇮🇹

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About the show

MECO is opinion and analysis of spaceflight, exploration, policy, and strategy, by Anthony Colangelo.

Newest episodes

T+342: NASA Updates Artemis III and IV Plans, and the Big Feelings on the Falcon to Starship Transition

Oct 30, 2026 44 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. 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 - NASANASA, Partners Accelerate Lander Development for 2028 Moon Missions - NASASpaceX no longer needs NASA, and that's a problem for America's space agency - Ars TechnicaThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+341: The Launch Shortage, SpaceX Going Alone (with Caleb Henry)

Oct 29, 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. 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) / XThe OneWeb Book | Caleb Henry | SubstackQuilty SpaceSpace Force scrambles as Musk’s SpaceX retires its major rocket - POLITICONeutron's first launch slips again amid trouble with carbon composites - Ars TechnicaSpaceX no longer needs NASA, and that's a problem for America's space agency - Ars TechnicaSpaceX to attempt Starship catch on next flight, with eye on rapid cadence increase - Ars TechnicaDoes anyone actually want to win the medium-lift race in the United States? - Ars TechnicaBlue Origin is going all in on the New Glenn rocket - Ars TechnicaAmazon builds 1,000th satellite, will launch space internet service by end of year - Ars TechnicaThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+340: Starliner’s Future and the Demand Signal

Sep 29, 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. 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 TechnicaAfter being sidelined, Boeing's Starliner to get starring role in NASA's spaceflight plans - Ars TechnicaCongress extends ISS and tells NASA to get moving on private space stations - Ars TechnicaNASA chief concerned China may deny access to parts of Moon's south pole - Ars TechnicaSpaceX's Starship goes orbital, deploying first next-gen Starlinks - Ars TechnicaVast Establishes Lunar Programs Division, Applying Haven Flight Heritage to Power, Communications, and Habitats on the Moon — an update by VASTThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 Zhou QuanWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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All episodes

The newest 50 of 343 episodes

T+342: NASA Updates Artemis III and IV Plans, and the Big Feelings on the Falcon to Starship Transition

Oct 30, 2026 44 min

T+341: The Launch Shortage, SpaceX Going Alone (with Caleb Henry)

Oct 29, 2026 57 min

T+340: Starliner’s Future and the Demand Signal

Sep 29, 2026 33 min

T+339: Starbase Louisiana, the Falcon Fade, and the Next Wave of Launch Vehicles

Aug 28, 2026 35 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. 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...

T+338: Zhuque-3, Long March 10B, Chang’e-7 (with Andrew Jones)

Aug 27, 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. 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

T+337: Inversion Space (with Justin Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and CEO)

Aug 4, 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. 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

T+336: Rocket Lab Buys Iridium, New Glenn’s Pad Rebuild, and NASA Awards 4 CLPS Missions

Jul 2, 2026 24 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. 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

T+335: Auriga Space (with Winnie Lai, Founder and CEO)

Jun 15, 2026 40 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. 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

T+334: SpaceX the Outlier, and Organization Leadership (with Matt Gjertsen)

Jun 9, 2026 43 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. 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

T+333: New Glenn Explodes on LC-36, Starship Flight 12, and NASA Moon Base Updates

May 29, 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. 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

T+332: Quantum Space (with Jim Bridenstine, CEO)

May 26, 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. 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

T+331: Checking in on K2 (with Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO)

May 19, 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. 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

T+330: 10 Years of MECO

Apr 24, 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. 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

T+329: Katalyst Space and the Mission to Boost Swift (with Ghonhee Lee, Founder and CEO)

Apr 23, 2026 44 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. 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

T+328: Pam Melroy, Former NASA Deputy Administrator and Space Shuttle Commander

Apr 9, 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. 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: Pin...

T+327: Artemis II, the Lunar Flyby Edition (with Paul Fjeld)

Apr 7, 2026 1 hr 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. 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

T+326: Artemis II Underway

Apr 2, 2026 13 min

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

T+325: Ignition

Mar 31, 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. 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

T+324: Impulse Space (with Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO)

Mar 17, 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. 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...

T+323: The Artemis Roadmap Shakeup

Feb 27, 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. 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

T+322: SpaceX Acquires xAI as it Prepares for IPO, Blue Origin Cancels New Shepard, and Artemis II Delayed (with Loren Grush)

Feb 6, 2026 40 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. 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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

T+321: Artemis II, New Glenn’s First Reflight, Blue Origin’s TeraWave, and Tory Bruno’s Job Switch

Jan 23, 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. 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 anthony@mainenginecut...

T+320: NASA’s FY2026 Budget, the Isaacman Era, and the Eve of Artemis II (with Casey Dreier)

Jan 22, 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. 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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

T+319: Headlines, December 22, 2025

Dec 23, 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. 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 satellite...

T+318: General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, United States Space Force

Dec 17, 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. 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 developm...

T+317: Isaacman Renomination Hearing, Starliner Flights Cut, Starship at SLC-37, Zhuque-3 Almost Sticks the Landing, and More (with Stephen Clark)

Dec 8, 2025 59 min

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 anthony...

T+316: New Glenn’s Second Launch, First Landing, and Upgrade Roadmap

Nov 26, 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. 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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

T+315: Autonomy in Space (with Simone D’Amico, DJ Bush, and Al Tadros)

Nov 11, 2025 1 hr 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. 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 anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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

T+314: Jockeying for the Artemis 3 Lander, and the NASA Administrator Position

Oct 31, 2025 34 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. 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 - UpdatesSpaceX teases simplified Starship as alarms sound over Moon landing delays - Ars TechnicaWhy did NASA’s chief just shake up the agency’s plans to land on the Moon? - Ars TechnicaElon Musk just declared war on NASA’s acting administrator, apparently - Ars TechnicaHow America fell behind China in the lunar space race—and how it can catch back up - Ars TechnicaChina completes landing and takeoff test for crewed moon lander - SpaceNewsChina completes second hot-fire test for new moon rocket, including engine restarts - SpaceNewsTrump pulls Isaacman nomination for space. Source: “NASA is f***ed.” - Ars TechnicaThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+313: Starlink, Kuiper, Project Bromo, and More (with Caleb Henry)

Oct 30, 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. 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) / XThe OneWeb Book | Caleb Henry | SubstackQuilty SpaceSatellite operators will soon join airlines in using Starlink in-flight Wi-Fi - Ars TechnicaStarlink mini lasers to link Muon Space satellites for near real-time connectivity - SpaceNewsProject Kuiper plots broadband services in five countries by end of March - SpaceNewsAirbus, Leonardo and Thales agree to combine space businesses - SpaceNewsProject Bromo: An Escape Hatch, Not a FortressIridium pulls $1 billion 2030 service revenue goal amid SpaceX’s D2D push - SpaceNewsThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+312: Starship Flight 11, Space Policy, and Priorities (with Miles O’Brien)

Oct 17, 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. 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'BrienMiles Ahead | Miles O'Brien | SubstackSpaceX finally got exactly what it needed from Starship V2 - Ars TechnicaMore layoffs at JPL - SpaceNewsTrump, Billionaire Isaacman Said to Meet About Top NASA Job - BloombergFormer NASA nominee Jared Isaacman in talks to become agency's chief | ReutersThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+311: Phil McAlister on Commercial LEO and NASA’s Human Spaceflight Budget

Oct 10, 2025 42 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. 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 | LinkedInThe Dreaded Gap | LinkedInYou Can’t Reach the Stars While Chained to Low-Earth Orbit | LinkedInNo Changes Allowed | LinkedInVast backs new NASA commercial space station strategy - SpaceNewsT+205: Phil McAlister, Director of Commercial Spaceflight at NASA - Main Engine Cut OffThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+310: NASA’s “Prove It” Era

Sep 26, 2025 19 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. 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 - NASAVIPER Might Have A New Ride to the Moon on Blue Origin – SpacePolicyOnline.comBlue Origin only bidder for new VIPER lander award - SpaceNewsNASA, Sierra Space Modify Commercial Resupply Services Contract - NASASierra’s Dream Chaser is starting to resemble a nightmare - Ars TechnicaNASA releases details on revised next phase of commercial space station development - SpaceNewsVast backs new NASA commercial space station strategy - SpaceNewsThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork 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)

Sep 11, 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. 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) / XStarlink Financial & Strategic Analysis 2025 1H | Quilty SpaceSign Up Form | Quilty SpaceEchoStar sells spectrum to SpaceX, cancels MDA satellite contract - SpaceNewsEchoStar’s $23 billion spectrum sale clears path for direct-to-device constellation - SpaceNewsEchoStar orders initial MDA satellites for $5 billion LEO constellation - SpaceNewsThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 CMSEOWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+308: Chatting with Casey Handmer

Aug 27, 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. 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) / XCasey HandmerTerraform IndustriesNASA Is Worth Saving – Casey Handmer's blogEpisode 170 - Luckily, We Did All the Math (with Casey Handmer) - Off-NominalThe science behind clean hydrocarbons | The Freethink Interview - YouTubeThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+307: Executive Order on Regulatory Reform (with Tom Marotta)

Aug 15, 2025 30 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. 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 | LinkedInThe Spaceport CompanyPrevious appearance: T+259: Tom Marotta, The Spaceport Company - Main Engine Cut OffEnabling Competition in the Commercial Space Industry – The White HouseTrump Issues Executive Order on Commercial Space – SpacePolicyOnline.comThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+306: Lunar Outpost (with Michael Moreno, VP of Strategy)

Aug 7, 2025 41 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. 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 OutpostLunar Voyage 1 Update Lunar Outpost Becomes First Company to Receive Payment for Space ResourcesNASA selects three companies to advance Artemis lunar rover designs - SpaceNewsLunar Dawn Team Awarded NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle ContractLunar Outpost Signs with SpaceX for Starship Moon MissionThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+305: The Starship 36 Explosion, and ESA Policy (with Adrian Beil, NASASpaceflight)

Jun 27, 2025 1 hr 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. 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) / TwitterAdrian Beil, Author at NASASpaceFlight.comOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 202 - Rapidly Adjusting (with Adrian Beil) - YouTubeFollowing the Loss of Ship 36, SpaceX now Focuses on Rebuilding Masseys - NASASpaceFlight.comJack 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.comESA studying impacts of proposed NASA budget cuts - SpaceNewsESA moving ahead with ‘resilience from space’ satellite imaging program - SpaceNewsThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+304: The Musk/Trump Breakup, Jared Isaacman’s Withdrawn Nomination, and Starship Flight 9 (with Lori Garver)

Jun 7, 2025 49 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. 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 - SpaceNewsIsaacman: people with ‘axes to grind’ about Musk caused withdrawn NASA nomination - SpaceNewsWhite House to withdraw Isaacman nomination to lead NASA - SpaceNewsNASA Copes with Details of $6 Billion Budget Cut, Leadership Uncertainty – SpacePolicyOnline.comNASA withdraws support for conferences - SpaceNewsCruz seeks $10 billion for NASA programs in budget reconciliation bill - SpaceNewsStarship breaks up on reentry after loss of attitude control - SpaceNewsStatus Update on ispace Mission 2 SMBC x HAKUTO-R Venture Moon | ispaceThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+303: The Trump 2024 Transition (with Mark Albrecht)

May 7, 2025 53 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. 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) / XFalling Back To Earth: A First Hand Account Of The Great Space Race And The End Of The Cold War: Albrecht, Mark: 9780615447094: Amazon.com: BooksMark 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 - SpaceNewsWhite House budget proposal would phase out SLS and Orion, scale back ISS operations - SpaceNewsNASA budget proposal draws strong criticism - SpaceNewsSpace Force chief makes case for increased funding before House panel - SpaceNewsThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+302: A Tour of Marotta Controls

May 5, 2025 1 hr 35 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! 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 | MarottaSpace Controls | Spacecraft Control Systems | MarottaMarotta’s post with photos of my tourBrian’s photo of a thruster firingThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASAWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+301: Hypersonics and Constellations (with Caleb Henry)

May 2, 2025 42 min

Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me to talk megaconstellations, the hypersonics industry, and more. 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) / XThe OneWeb Book | Caleb Henry | SubstackQuilty SpaceArmed services committees propose $150 billion funding boost for defense - SpaceNewsUrsa Major wins $28.5 million Air Force contract to flight-test Draper engine for hypersonic use - SpaceNewsUnited Airlines bumps GEO operators off fleet for Starlink Wi-Fi - SpaceNewsFree Starlink Wi-Fi now on most Hawaiian Airlines transpacific fleet - SpaceNewsAtlas launches first operational Project Kuiper satellites - SpaceNewsProject 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 terminalsAssessing Kuiper’s Satellite Manufacturing Delays — Quilty SpaceElon vs EchoStar: Starlink’s RF Snitch Mission, Explained | QuickTakes — Quilty SpaceThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 Newsle...

T+300: Isaacman’s Confirmation Hearing, NASA and NOAA Budgets, NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 Awards

Apr 18, 2025 26 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. 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.comTrump White House budget proposal eviscerates science funding at NASA - Ars TechnicaPlanetary Science Caucus Co-Chairs Bacon & Chu Statement on White House’s Proposed Budget Cuts to NASA Science | U.S. Representative Don BaconNOAA budget proposal would affect weather satellite, other space programs - SpaceNewsSpaceX, ULA, Blue Origin win $13.7 billion in U.S. military launch contracts through 2029 - SpaceNewsSpace Force reassigns GPS satellite launch from ULA to SpaceX - SpaceNewsSpaceX secures majority of NSSL Phase 3 fiscal year 2025 missions - SpaceNewsThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+299: Starliner, According to Butch and Suni (with Eric Berger)

Apr 3, 2025 28 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. 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) / XEric Berger | Ars TechnicaStarliner’s flight to the space station was far wilder than most of us thought - Ars TechnicaNASA to put Starliner’s thrusters through an extensive workout before next launch - Ars TechnicaNASA likely to significantly delay the launch of Crew 9 due to Starliner issues - Ars TechnicaThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+298: Eric Schmidt Takes Over at Relativity, Rocket Lab Plans Mynaric Acquisition

Mar 14, 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. 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 TimesFormer Google CEO Eric Schmidt is the new leader of Relativity Space - Ars TechnicaRelativity Space makes significant progress on Terran R; flight hardware in production - NASASpaceFlight.comRelativity names Eric Schmidt as CEO as it updates Terran R development - SpaceNewsTo avoid the Panama Canal, Relativity Space is moving some operations to Texas - Ars TechnicaRocket Lab to expand into laser communications with Mynaric acquisition - SpaceNewsThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 FireflyWork 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)

Mar 7, 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. 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) / XArticles by Josh Dinner, Staff Writer, Spaceflight | SpaceIM-2 lunar lander mission ends - SpaceNewsAstroForge | Odin't: A Complete Debrief of Our Deep Space MissionStarship destroyed on second consecutive test flight - SpaceNewsStarship’s Eighth Flight Test - SpaceX - LaunchesRocket Lab Announces Flatellite: A New Satellite Designed for Mass Manufacture and Tailored for Large Constellations | Rocket LabRocket Lab Reveals Ocean Platform for Neutron Rocket Landings at Sea | Rocket LabThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+296: Jim Bridenstine on Space Policy

Mar 3, 2025 25 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. 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 GroupTouchdown! Carrying NASA Science, Firefly’s Blue Ghost Lands on Moon - NASAFirefly’s Blue Ghost 1 lands on the moon - SpaceNewsBlue Ghost Mission 1 - Firefly AerospaceFalcon 9 launches second Intuitive Machines lunar lander - SpaceNewsHouse Committee Backs Moon-to-Mars, But Changes May Be Needed – SpacePolicyOnline.comThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 FireflyWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

T+295: The Economics of Space (with Matthew Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau)

Feb 19, 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. 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: BooksEconomics of Space | Economics of SpaceThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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

T+294: Elon Musk and the Trump Administration, Potential SLS Cancellation (with Eric Berger)

Feb 10, 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. 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) / XEric Berger | Ars TechnicaBoeing has informed its employees of uncertainty in future SLS contracts - Ars TechnicaNASA will swap Dragon spacecraft on the ground to return Butch and Suni sooner - Ars TechnicaConcern about SpaceX influence at NASA grows with new appointee - Ars TechnicaThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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

T+293: Jonathan’s Space Report Library Transition (with Jonathan McDowell)

Jan 24, 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! 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 TransitionJonathan's Space ReportJonathan McDowell (@planet4589.bsky.social) — BlueskyJonathan McDowell (@planet4589) / XThe edge of space: Revisiting the Karman Line - ScienceDirectT+105: Jonathan McDowell - Main Engine Cut OffThe Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 SpaceXWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works

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T+342: NASA Updates Artemis III and IV Plans, and the Big Feelings on the Falcon to Starship Transition

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Created by: Anthony Colangelo
Status: Active
Latest episode: Oct 30, 2026
Episodes: 343
Release period: Every two weeks
Avg. episode length: 38 min
Explicit: No
Language: English

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