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Main Engine Cut Off

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industry52 episodes indexed

Main Engine Cut Off

Anthony Colangelo

Weekly opinion and analysis of spaceflight strategy, policy, and industry deals, with founder and CEO interviews.

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Episodes

RSS · updated 20:00Z●LIVE

E339T+339: Starbase Louisiana, the Falcon Fade, and the Next Wave of Launch VehiclesSpaceX officially announced Starbase Louisiana, and I break down why the site fits Starship’s launch, landing, and orbital architecture so perfectly. I also look at the transition from Falcon to Starship, and the new launch vehicles on the Aug 28 · 36 min
E338T+338: Zhuque-3, Long March 10B, Chang’e-7 (with Andrew Jones)Andrew Jones returns to the show to catch up on the Chinese space industry—the landings of Zhuque-3 and Long March 10B first stages, Chang’e-7 and its delay, and more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive prAug 27 · 48 min
E337T+337: Inversion Space (with Justin Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and CEO)Justin Fiaschetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Inversion Space, joins me to talk about the company’s plan to store maneuverable reentry vehicles in orbit for rapid cargo delivery, the design and architecture decisions driving Arc including cross-Aug 4 · 48 min
E336T+336: Rocket Lab Buys Iridium, New Glenn’s Pad Rebuild, and NASA Awards 4 CLPS MissionsRocket Lab is buying Iridium for $8 billion, Blue Origin has a new plan to get New Glenn flying again without rebuilding the same pad architecture, and NASA just awarded four new CLPS missions. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is broughtJul 2 · 25 min
E335T+335: Auriga Space (with Winnie Lai, Founder and CEO)Founder and CEO of Auriga Space, Winnie Lai, joins me to talk about their electromagnetic launch infrastructure and the path she sees for Auriga across space and defense markets. And yes, we talk about whether this kind of alternative launcJun 15 · 41 min
E334T+334: SpaceX the Outlier, and Organization Leadership (with Matt Gjertsen)I often talk about SpaceX being an extreme outlier in the industry and how many organizations have tried to replicate their approach, but very few (if any) have been successful. Matt Gjertsen of Built joins me to share a take on what exactlJun 9 · 44 min
E333T+333: New Glenn Explodes on LC-36, Starship Flight 12, and NASA Moon Base UpdatesBlue Origin’s New Glenn blew up on LC-36 last night during a static fire test, Starship flew its 12th flight, and NASA had a series of updates on its Moon Base program, including LTV awards, launch and landing contracts, and a somewhat unexMay 29 · 31 min
E332T+332: Quantum Space (with Jim Bridenstine, CEO)Former NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine has joined Quantum Space as CEO. We talk about what the company is working on, the Ranger spacecraft, how they fit into the industry, where he sees their market going, and what it’s like to be a forMay 26 · 37 min
E331T+331: Checking in on K2 (with Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO)Neel Kunjur, Co-Founder and CTO of K2 Space, joins me to talk about their hardware in space today, how their vision and plans have evolved over the past few years, and how industry changes like the push for orbital data centers have impacteMay 19 · 44 min
E330T+330: 10 Years of MECOThe show turned 10 last Monday, so I thought it would be fun to have our good friend Jake Robins on to look back at where we were then, what’s happened since, and what that teaches us about the future. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off isApr 24 · 32 min
E329T+329: Katalyst Space and the Mission to Boost Swift (with Ghonhee Lee, Founder and CEO)Ghonhee Lee, CEO of Katalyst Space, joins me to talk about their upcoming mission to boost NASA’s Swift observatory, and how they are approaching in-orbit services differently than those that came before. This episode of Main Engine Cut OffApr 23 · 45 min
E328T+328: Pam Melroy, Former NASA Deputy Administrator and Space Shuttle CommanderPam Melroy, Former NASA Deputy Administrator, Space Shuttle Commander, and three-time Shuttle astronaut, joins me to talk about space policy past, present, and future. We talk about the most critical decisions and moments during her time asApr 9 · 52 min
E327T+327: Artemis II, the Lunar Flyby Edition (with Paul Fjeld)Artemis II completed their lunar flyby yesterday, and it was epic on all levels. Paul Fjeld and I discuss that and many other topics related to Artemis, Apollo, and human spaceflight. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you byApr 7 · 1h 22m
E326T+326: Artemis II UnderwayArtemis II is underway with a spectacular first day. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Donald, Matt, David, Joel, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Natasha Tsakos, Tim Dodd (the Everyday AstronauApr 2 · 14 min
E325T+325: IgnitionThere was a lot of news in NASA’s Ignition event last week, and I break down what actually matters: not whether Jared Isaacman’s timelines are realistic, but how this new roadmap strips away architectural dependencies and forces the real boMar 31 · 35 min
E324T+324: Impulse Space (with Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO)Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO of Impulse Space, joins me to catch up on the company’s progress and plans—3 Mira missions flown, Helios soon to fly, $525M raised, new defense contracts, a lunar lander concept, and a new Colorado facility. ThiMar 17 · 40 min
E323T+323: The Artemis Roadmap ShakeupNASA Administrator Jared Isaacman announced a sweeping roadmap change to the Artemis program this morning—seemingly cancelling the EUS, Gateway, and all SLS upgrades, and instead pursuing the once-and-future annual launch cadence of SLS. ThFeb 27 · 30 min
E322T+322: SpaceX Acquires xAI as it Prepares for IPO, Blue Origin Cancels New Shepard, and Artemis II Delayed (with Loren Grush)Loren Grush, of Bloomberg, joins me to talk about SpaceX’s acquisition of xAI, its preparation for a potential IPO, Blue Origin’s cancellation of New Shepard and their recent momentum, and the delay to Artemis II following its first wet dreFeb 6 · 41 min
E321T+321: Artemis II, New Glenn’s First Reflight, Blue Origin’s TeraWave, and Tory Bruno’s Job SwitchArtemis II is on the pad, and I can’t stop thinking about it. So I guess listen to me think in the open? Also, a ton of Blue Origin news—the next flight of New Glenn will feature a flown booster, they’ve announced constellation plans under Jan 23 · 31 min
E320T+320: NASA’s FY2026 Budget, the Isaacman Era, and the Eve of Artemis II (with Casey Dreier)Casey Dreier of The Planetary Society joins me to talk about the NASA FY2026 budget, the early days of the Administrator Isaacman era, and how we feel going into Artemis II. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executJan 22 · 32 min
E319T+319: Headlines, December 22, 2025A holiday special! Enjoy this week’s episode of Headlines free. It’s an absolute monster episode—way longer than usual Headlines episodes, I promise—but it’s a great example of what you get when you support the show over at mainenginecutoffDec 23, 2025 · 49 min
E318T+318: General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations, United States Space ForceYesterday, I had the chance to visit the Pentagon and sit down with General Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations—the head of the United States Space Force. We talk about the service 6 years into its existence, the state of acquisitionDec 17, 2025 · 49 min
E317T+317: Isaacman Renomination Hearing, Starliner Flights Cut, Starship at SLC-37, Zhuque-3 Almost Sticks the Landing, and More (with Stephen Clark)Stephen Clark of Ars Technica joins me to talk about a ton of stories in the news—Jared Isaacman was back in front of Congress, a few Starliner flights have been cut from the ISS manifest, Starship received environmental approval to proceedDec 8, 2025 · 60 min
E316T+316: New Glenn’s Second Launch, First Landing, and Upgrade RoadmapBlue Origin is fresh off an incredible few weeks—a successful second launch and first landing of New Glenn, followed by an exciting unveil of upgrades to the vehicle, including an enormous new version, New Glenn 9x4. This episode of Main EnNov 26, 2025 · 30 min
E315T+315: Autonomy in Space (with Simone D’Amico, DJ Bush, and Al Tadros)Simone D’Amico of Stanford and EraDrive, DJ Bush of NVIDIA, and Al Tadros of Redwire join me to talk about autonomy in space, to get into the specific details of what they’re working on and how it comes together, and what it may do for the Nov 11, 2025 · 1h 3m
E314T+314: Jockeying for the Artemis 3 Lander, and the NASA Administrator PositionThinking through the chaos that has ensued over the NASA Administrator role, the Artemis 3 lander acceleration movement, the SpaceX Starship HLS update, and a bit on how we actually got here. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought tOct 31, 2025 · 35 min
E313T+313: Starlink, Kuiper, Project Bromo, and More (with Caleb Henry)Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me (in studio!) to talk about Starlink V3, Starlink satellite relay, Kuiper’s rollout, the Airbus-Thales-Leonardo merger, and the future of Iridium. This episode of Main Engine Cut OfOct 30, 2025 · 33 min
E312T+312: Starship Flight 11, Space Policy, and Priorities (with Miles O’Brien)Miles O’Brien, science correspondent for PBS News and CNN space analyst, joins me to talk about Starship Flight 11, the current space policy landscape including the ongoing government shutdown, the possible return of Jared Isaacman, and whaOct 17, 2025 · 44 min
E311T+311: Phil McAlister on Commercial LEO and NASA’s Human Spaceflight BudgetPhil McAlister, former Director of NASA’s Commercial Space Division, joins me to talk about the Commercial LEO Destinations program, the budgetary issues facing NASA and its human spaceflight programs, and to share his perspective on the laOct 10, 2025 · 43 min
E310T+310: NASA’s “Prove It” EraNASA selected Blue Origin to (maybe) deliver the once-cancelled VIPER rover, modified Sierra Space’s ISS resupply contract which likely puts the nail in the coffin of Dream Chaser, and released the draft of its new commercial space station Sep 26, 2025 · 20 min
E309T+309: EchoStar’s Spectrum Sale, Starlink’s Financials (with Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space)Caleb Henry, Director of Research at Quilty Space, joins me to talk about EchoStar’s spectrum sales and constellation cancellation, SpaceX’s spectrum purchase, and the financials of Starlink. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought tSep 11, 2025 · 43 min
E308T+308: Chatting with Casey HandmerCasey Handmer, Founder of Terraform Industries, joins me to talk about the state of NASA in 2025, talent acquisition and retention, productivity, and so much more. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 34 executive producAug 27, 2025 · 36 min
E307T+307: Executive Order on Regulatory Reform (with Tom Marotta)Tom Marotta of The Spaceport Company joins me to talk about the executive order this week focused on commercial space regulatory reform, what problems it seeks to solve, his experience on both sides of those issues, and how we should undersAug 15, 2025 · 31 min
E306T+306: Lunar Outpost (with Michael Moreno, VP of Strategy)Michael Moreno, VP of Strategy at Lunar Outpost, joins me to talk about what they’ve been up to at the company, the NASA Lunar Terrain Vehicle Services contract, the idea of services as a business on the Moon, and more. This episode of MainAug 7, 2025 · 42 min
E305T+305: The Starship 36 Explosion, and ESA Policy (with Adrian Beil, NASASpaceflight)A special simulcast of this week’s Off-Nominal—the other show I do, if you somehow haven’t heard of it!—because it’s exactly the topic list with exactly the guest I had up next on my list. I’m joined by Adrian Beil of NASASpaceflight to talJun 27, 2025 · 1h 6m
E304T+304: The Musk/Trump Breakup, Jared Isaacman’s Withdrawn Nomination, and Starship Flight 9 (with Lori Garver)Lori Garver, former NASA Deputy Administrator, joins me to talk about the chaos of the last week: the withdraw of Jared Isaacman’s nomination for NASA Administrator, Starship Flight 9, and of course, the wild public breakup of Elon Musk andJun 7, 2025 · 50 min
E303T+303: The Trump 2024 Transition (with Mark Albrecht)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 OfMay 7, 2025 · 54 min
E302T+302: A Tour of Marotta ControlsWe 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 broughMay 5, 2025 · 1h 36m
E301T+301: Hypersonics and Constellations (with Caleb Henry)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, DoMay 2, 2025 · 42 min
E300T+300: Isaacman’s Confirmation Hearing, NASA and NOAA Budgets, NSSL Phase 3 Lane 2 AwardsJared 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 aApr 18, 2025 · 27 min
E299T+299: Starliner, According to Butch and Suni (with Eric Berger)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 Apr 3, 2025 · 29 min
E298T+298: Eric Schmidt Takes Over at Relativity, Rocket Lab Plans Mynaric AcquisitionEric 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 oMar 14, 2025 · 20 min
E297T+297: Firefly Blue Ghost 1, Intuitive Machines IM-2, SpaceX Starship Flight 8 (with Josh Dinner)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 Mar 7, 2025 · 52 min
E296T+296: Jim Bridenstine on Space PolicyFormer 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 Mar 3, 2025 · 26 min
E295T+295: The Economics of Space (with Matthew Weinzierl and Brendan Rosseau)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!—Feb 19, 2025 · 41 min
E294T+294: Elon Musk and the Trump Administration, Potential SLS Cancellation (with Eric Berger)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—WFeb 10, 2025 · 42 min
E293T+293: Jonathan’s Space Report Library Transition (with Jonathan McDowell)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 helpJan 24, 2025 · 14 min
E292T+292: New Glenn Flight 1, Starship Flight 7Blue 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 GJan 21, 2025 · 23 min
E291T+291: Axiom Updates Station Plans, Firefly Wins Another CLPS MissionAxiom Space announced changes to their station build out plan, bringing free-flying capability forward in their timeline and switching to a berthing port at the ISS to avoid the US Deorbit Vehicle. Firefly won another CLPS task order, this Dec 21, 2024 · 20 min
E290T+290: Jared Isaacman Nominated NASA AdministratorJared Isaacman, the man with a private space program, has been nominated NASA Administrator, to run the nation’s space program. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Frank, Lee, Joel, Theo and VioleDec 6, 2024 · 21 min

Source: Episodes via the show's public RSS feed · as of Sep 1, 2026 20:00 UTC

Showing the 50 most recent episodes. Full archive on the show's site.

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