Main Engine Cut Off

Some interesting insight into SSL’s inner-workings, as well as some good follow-up on the discussion Logan and I had about chemical vs. electric satellites.

To me, Mars is where all the interesting discoveries live and our future awaits, but lunar missions are much better suited for a governmental space program—or at least for a governmental space program that is run like NASA has been run for decades.

Fantastic breakdown of the Mars 2020 rover CAD render by Lars Osborne. Touches on some changes from Curiosity, and new experiments and hardware—including the tiny helicopter and the sample return storage system.

A tug-of-war like this between ESA and the EU could have some harmful fallout, especially with tensions already high after the Brexit referendum.

NASA’s Resource Prospector mission is important. We have to learn how to live off the land if we want to go anywhere. The more people working on that problem, the better.

I’ve been harping on three things in particular as the most important aspects of SpaceX’s 2016 work: schedule certainty, flight rate, and reuse. Last night was filled with good signs for SpaceX’s future.

There are a few interesting bits in NASA’s latest release about the Mars 2020 rover—tighter landing ellipses, better site selection, and better imagery during EDL.

More good signs for ESA’s exploration plans. Whatever decisions come out of the ESA’s December meeting should be exciting.

As I said the other day (and ranted about on the podcast this week), this hearing was focused on maintaining the status quo at all costs.

As I’ve been talking about on the podcast lately, China is looking to partner with anyone and everyone, but the US is still stubbornly shutting them out.