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 (Jo-Kim), Donald, Josh from Impulse, Stealth Julian, Jan, Steve, Better Every Day Studios, Warren, David, Joel, Natasha Tsakos (pronounced Tszakos), Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsMark 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), Fred, Matt, Pat from KC, Natasha Tsakos (pronounced Tszakos), 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.TopicsControls Engineering | Control System Company | MarottaSpace Controls | Spacecraft Control Systems | MarottaMarotta’s post with photos of my tourBrian’s photo of a thruster firingThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), Fred, Matt, Pat from KC, Natasha Tsakos (pronounced Tszakos), 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.TopicsCaleb 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), 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.TopicsIsaacman 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), 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.TopicsEric 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), 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.TopicsEric 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), Steve, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsJosh 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), Steve, Theo and Violet, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Russell, The Astrogators at SEE, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.TopicsHome | 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), 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.TopicsSpace to Grow: Unlocking the Final Economic Frontier: Weinzierl, Matthew, Rosseau, Brendan: 9781647827168: Amazon.com: BooksEconomics of Space | Economics of SpaceThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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 (Jo-Kim), 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.TopicsEric 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

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.TopicsFundraiser 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 ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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

Blue Origin flew New Glenn successfully for the first time, and SpaceX flew Starship for the seventh time. Both featured failures at different points of the flight, with the impacts on Starship being significantly bigger than those on New Glenn.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.TopicsNew Glenn reaches orbit on first launch - SpaceNewsFAA requires mishap investigation for failed New Glenn landing - SpaceNewsStarship’s Seventh Flight Test - SpaceX - LaunchesStarship upper stage lost on seventh test flight - SpaceNewsFAA investigating Starship debris reports - SpaceNewsThe ShowLike the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to [email protected] @WeHaveMECOFollow @[email protected] 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