Main Engine Cut Off

Musk posted a few tweets last night about it. The best one is the last of the three, which is a video with booming sound.

I guess they’re right—things do always test better on Sundays.

Once again, the rocket equivalent of Alan Kay’s theorem: people who are really serious about launch services should make their own engines.

The telling sign here will be whether DARPA pursues a continuation of RSGS with Northrop Grumman, who lost out on the original round of agreements. Northrop Grumman may feel confident enough in their Mission Extension Vehicles and Pods that they don’t need the additional complexity of RSGS, or they may feel like the robotic arm would be a valuable boost to their work.

Hell of a backlog for New Glenn. This brings it into double digits.

A $200–300 user terminal like this is the critical technology piece for OneWeb, SpaceX’s Starlink, and the like. Their business case would be near a complete collapse without it.

Originally, they planned to build an engine test and acceptance stand as part of their Cape Canaveral launch site—at the old Launch Complex 11. I wonder if getting space at Marshall would change that plan. I have to assume so.

In the last few years, we’ve seen a handful of small satellite production lines open up. Those production lines have mostly been for internal programs, but at least a few have said they want to sell buses, as well. This is a big step in that direction for Airbus and OneWeb.

NASA announced a crew change for Starliner’s Crew Flight Test: Boe is out, and Fincke is in.

I’ll say this about Rocket Lab’s upcoming stretch of launches for 2019: they have a lot more United States Department of Defense launches then you’d expect. Should be a fun year.

Jake and I talk about New Horizons’ recent flyby, Chang’e 4, and take on a handful of questions from listeners.