Main Engine Cut Off

I’d love to see the numbers involved here, but the fact that Bruno is putting this out there at all says a lot.

The second episode of Off-Nominal—the more laid back and causal space podcast I started with Jake Robins—has been posted. We chat about gravitational waves, our interstellar visitor, and more.

The conceit of this press release is that the case is specifically for the Next Generation Launch system, but it’s also for SLS.

Chris Gebhardt wrotea fantastic piece over on NASASpaceflight.com on SLS, Europa Clipper, EM-2, and its Mobile Launcher(s?). The Mobile Launcher is being finalized in its SLS Block 1 configuration for EM-1, after which it will need to be converted for SLS Block 1B—a 33-month process, and NASA’s Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel has some interesting concerns.

Chris Gebhardt for NASASpaceflight.com with a ton of Falcon Heavy updates, including SLC-40 work, the Falcon Heavy engine start sequence, and the final Falcon Heavy flow leading to its launch date in late December.

Very special thanks to the 117 of you out there supporting Main Engine Cut Off on Patreon for the month of October. Your support keeps this blog and podcast going, and most importantly, it keeps it independent.

The first of Vulcain 2.1 engine arrived in Germany ahead of its December test firing, which will kick off a 15 month-long test campaign.

Getting through the bureaucratic red tape was one of the more recent goal post movements by reusability doubters. There goes that. The biggest piece of work left for SpaceX is to get Falcon 9 Block 5 flying, and with it, prove out minimal refurbishment between flights.

Really interesting stuff from SES, who is always looking to push the industry forward. The current era of GEO is coming to a close, and this sounds like the structure of the next.

We’re seeing the same strategy from several players in the market with several launch vehicles—ULA with Atlas V, Arianespace with Ariane 6, and ILS with Proton Medium. Cutting costs and optimizing launch vehicles to compete at current Falcon 9 prices is going to work for the next few years, at least.