Main Engine Cut OffOptimus Prime
We started seeing some great photos of SpaceX’s new piece of infrastructure on the ASDS: Optimus Prime. Scott Murray also posted some over-exposed-but-lovely shots of Optimus Prime on the ASDS, complete with shots of its garage.
346 results for “SpaceX”
SpaceX Wins GPS III Launch, More Info on Phase 1A
I’m not surprised to see rising prices—after all, you don’t have to outrun the bear, just the ones you’re running alongside.
Dragon ECLSS Module Tested
It’s a shame that SpaceX is getting so distracted by all their other projects.
T+42: Blue Origin Introduces New Glenn
This week, Blue Origin shed some more light on New Glenn—by way of an animation, launch agreements, and a talk by Jeff Bezos at Satellite 2017—and the first fully-assembled BE-4 shipped to their test site in Texas for a hot firing. I discuss the new details we learned and how New Glenn will fit into the industry in the 2020s.
New Glenn Specs, Customers, and More
An engine on its way to the test stand, 2 customers signed on for 6 launches, a factory well underway in Florida—things are progressing well for New Glenn.
SpaceX’s Current Plans for Launches, Pads, and Vehicles
An absolute wealth of information about SpaceX’s 2017 from Chris Bergin of NASASpaceFlight.com.
Begun, The Constellation War Has
These numbers are getting more and more unbelievable by the day. The Intelsat-OneWeb merger is very interesting to follow, too. Hot on the heels of the big investment OneWeb received back in December, the merger gives them more resources, knowledge, experience, and a customer-base. That’s a pretty good mixture.
Blue Origin Lobbying for Lunar COTS Program
It’s somewhat of a lackluster response to all the excitement this past week to say “Oh yeah? Well we’re lobbying for the obvious next step of Commercial Cargo!”
To me this reads a lot like Blue Origin isn’t quite ready to talk about any additional plans, but wanted to make their voice heard alongside SpaceX. As I said on this week’s podcast, none of the old insiders (Boeing, Lockheed, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Orbital ATK, …) are going to invite SpaceX and Blue Origin into their club. They have to insert themselves into these conversations, and will inevitably ruffle some feathers doing it.
Envisioning a Lunar Sortie with SpaceX and ULA Hardware
Architectures like these could flourish with the budget levels that SLS and Orion receive. Things are coming to a head now with the NASA exploration program, and it’s hard to say where it will go. No matter what, the next few years are going to be thrilling.
T+41: EM-1 Follow-up, Dragon 2-Falcon Heavy to the Moon
This week is all about #hotdrama, with two surprise media briefings: one from NASA on a potential crewed EM-1, and one from SpaceX on a privately-crewed journey around the Moon—riding on a Dragon 2 and Falcon Heavy—at the end of 2018. I discuss the implications of both, and go on a rant about SpaceX and “focus.” This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 5 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, and one anonymous—and 34 other supporters on Patreon.