Episodes

  • T+330: 10 Years of MECO

    T+330: 10 Years of MECO
    Apr 24 2026

    The 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 is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Donald, Ryan, Joakim, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, David, Theo and Violet, Lee, Miles O’Brien, Will and Lars from Agile, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), The Astrogators at SEE, Frank, Steve, Russell, Matt, Joel, Kris, Natasha Tsakos, Pat, Jan, Warren, Fred, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.

    Topics

    • T-0: The Near Future of US-Based Competitors - Main Engine Cut Off
    • T+1: The Near Future of NASA’s Orion and SLS Programs - Main Engine Cut Off
    • 1 – The Waxing Interest in Mars
    • T+23: SpaceX Mars Architecture Initial Reactions - Main Engine Cut Off
    • 13 – Making Humans Multiplanetary (feat. Anthony Colangelo)
    • 65 – Starship on Course (feat. Anthony Colangelo)
    • T+135: Jake Robins on Starship - Main Engine Cut Off
    • wemartians comments on Main Engine Cut Off — A new, short, weekly podcast about spaceflight and exploration

    The Show

    • Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!
    • Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com
    • Follow @WeHaveMECO
    • Follow @meco@spacey.space on Mastodon
    • Listen to MECO Headlines
    • Listen to Off-Nominal
    • Join the Off-Nominal Discord
    • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere
    • Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter
    • Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls
    • Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    32 mins
  • T+329: Katalyst Space and the Mission to Boost Swift (with Ghonhee Lee, Founder and CEO)

    T+329: Katalyst Space and the Mission to Boost Swift (with Ghonhee Lee, Founder and CEO)
    Apr 23 2026

    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 Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Donald, Ryan, Joakim, Better Every Day Studios, Stealth Julian, David, Theo and Violet, Lee, Miles O’Brien, Will and Lars from Agile, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), The Astrogators at SEE, Frank, Steve, Russell, Matt, Joel, Kris, Natasha Tsakos, Pat, Jan, Warren, Fred, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.

    Topics

    • Upgrade Satellites Post-Launch | Katalyst Space Technologies​
    • A unique NASA satellite is falling out of orbit—this team is trying to rescue it - Ars Technica
    • Swift spacecraft reorientation buys time for reboost mission - SpaceNews
    • Katalyst Space acquires Atomos to accelerate in-space services - SpaceNews
    • Arianespace to launch Katalyst servicing spacecraft - SpaceNews
    • LinkedIn post with the mission patch

    The Show

    • Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!
    • Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com
    • Follow @WeHaveMECO
    • Follow @meco@spacey.space on Mastodon
    • Listen to MECO Headlines
    • Listen to Off-Nominal
    • Join the Off-Nominal Discord
    • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere
    • Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter
    • Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls
    • Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • T+328: Pam Melroy, Former NASA Deputy Administrator and Space Shuttle Commander

    T+328: Pam Melroy, Former NASA Deputy Administrator and Space Shuttle Commander
    Apr 9 2026
    Pam 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 as Deputy Administrator under Administrator Bill Nelson, and her thoughts on the Isaacman-era space policy from Ignition to Commercial LEO, and what to do about Mars Sample Return. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Steve, Lee, Russell, Stealth Julian, Warren, Miles O’Brien, Josh from Impulse, Joel, David, Natasha Tsakos, Joakim, Will and Lars from Agile, Frank, Better Every Day Studios, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Donald, The Astrogators at SEE, Jan, Joonas, Pat, Matt, Kris, Fred, Theo and Violet, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters. Topics Pamela Melroy (@Astro_Pam) / XNASA Statement on Nomination of Pam Melroy for Agency Deputy Administrator - NASAPam Melroy Sworn in as NASA Deputy Administrator - NASAAs Artemis Moves Forward, NASA Picks SpaceX to Land Next Americans on Moon - NASANASA Selects Blue Origin as Second Artemis Lunar Lander Provider - NASANASA Selects Companies to Develop Commercial Destinations in Space - NASAOp-ed: NASA’s New CLD Strategy Will Lose Mars, LEO to ChinaNASA Sets Path to Return Mars Samples, Seeks Innovative Designs - NASANASA to Explore Two Landing Options for Returning Samples from Mars - NASA The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASA/Bill IngallsWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    52 mins
  • T+327: Artemis II, the Lunar Flyby Edition (with Paul Fjeld)

    T+327: Artemis II, the Lunar Flyby Edition (with Paul Fjeld)
    Apr 7 2026

    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 by 32 executive producers—Ryan, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Will and Lars from Agile, David, Better Every Day Studios, Kris, Stealth Julian, Joonas, Russell, Warren, Jan, Natasha Tsakos, Steve, Pat, The Astrogators at SEE, Fred, Donald, Miles O’Brien, Matt, Josh from Impulse, Frank, Lee, Joakim, Joel, Theo and Violet, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.

    Topics

    • Space Art by Paul Fjeld
    • NASA’s Artemis II Crew Flies Around the Moon (Official Broadcast) - YouTube
    • Artemis II Multimedia: Crew Photos, Videos and Mission Highlights
    • NASA's Moon ship and rocket seem to be working well, so what about the landers? - Ars Technica
    • T+58: Totality - Main Engine Cut Off

    The Show

    • Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!
    • Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com
    • Follow @WeHaveMECO
    • Follow @meco@spacey.space on Mastodon
    • Listen to MECO Headlines
    • Listen to Off-Nominal
    • Join the Off-Nominal Discord
    • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere
    • Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter
    • Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls
    • Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 22 mins
  • T+326: Artemis II Underway

    T+326: Artemis II Underway
    Apr 2 2026

    Artemis 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 Astronaut!), Lee, Fred, Will and Lars from Agile, Ryan, Warren, The Astrogators at SEE, Pat, Joakim, Miles O’Brien, Steve, Jan, Stealth Julian, Kris, Theo and Violet, Russell, Josh from Impulse, Joonas, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.

    Topics

    • NASA's Artemis II Live Mission Coverage (Official Broadcast) - YouTube
    • Artemis II Flight Update: Perigee Raise Maneuver Complete; NASA to Hold Press Conference
    • Artemis II Flight Update: Apogee Raise Burn Complete, Crew Looks Ahead to Proximity Operations
    • Artemis II Flight Update: Proximity Operations Complete, Perigee Raise Burn Up Next
    • Artemis II Flight Update: Crew and Ground Teams Successfully Troubleshoot Orion’s Toilet
    • Artemis II Flight Update: Perigee Raise Burn Complete

    The Show

    • Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!
    • Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com
    • Follow @WeHaveMECO
    • Follow @meco@spacey.space on Mastodon
    • Listen to MECO Headlines
    • Listen to Off-Nominal
    • Join the Off-Nominal Discord
    • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere
    • Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter
    • Artwork photo by NASA/Bill Ingalls
    • Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    14 mins
  • T+325: Ignition

    T+325: Ignition
    Mar 31 2026
    There 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 bottlenecks into the open. I talk through Gateway’s cancellation, the possible path away from SLS and ICPS, what this means for lunar landers and international partners, and why NASA’s new philosophy feels so different from the past. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 32 executive producers—Steve, Joel, Kris, Josh from Impulse, Will and Lars from Agile, Warren, Natasha Tsakos, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Lee, Joonas, Better Every Day Studios, Russell, Fred, David, Donald, Frank, Miles O’Brien, Jan, Joakim, The Astrogators at SEE, Stealth Julian, Theo and Violet, Matt, Pat, Ryan, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters. Topics Ignition - NASAIgnition: NASA's Plan for The Moon - YouTubeIgnition: NASA's Plan for Science and Discovery - YouTubeIgnition: NASA News Conference (March 24, 2026) - YouTubeNASA kills lunar space station to focus on ambitious Moon base - Ars TechnicaWe got an audience with the "Lunar Viceroy" to talk how NASA will build a Moon base - Ars TechnicaCavossa: CLD Companies Want Stability, Not a New Plan – SpacePolicyOnline.comWith Artemis Changes, Europe is Left Holding the Bag The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASA/John KrausWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    35 mins
  • T+324: Impulse Space (with Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO)

    T+324: Impulse Space (with Tom Mueller, Founder and CEO)
    Mar 17 2026
    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. This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joel, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Warren, Steve, Ryan, Will and Lars from Agile, Natasha Tsakos, Russell, Joakim, Theo and Violet, The Astrogators at SEE, Matt, Lee, Donald, Heiko, Better Every Day Studios, Josh from Impulse, Miles O’Brien, Stealth Julian, David, Joonas, Kris, Frank, Jan, Fred, Pat, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters. Topics Impulse SpaceCareers - Impulse SpaceTom Mueller (@lrocket) / XInside Impulse’s New Colorado FacilityImpulse Space Secures $300 Million Series C to Accelerate the Future of In-Space MobilityStarfish Space Completes Autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Mission in LEO with Impulse SpaceTo the Moon (and Beyond): How Impulse Can Deliver More Mass to the Lunar Surface ​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍​‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​​​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‌‍​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​​​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍​‍​‌‍‌​​‍‌​‌​​‌‍​​‌​‍‌​‍‌​‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‌‍​‍​‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍​‌​​‍‌​‍​​​‍​‌‌‍​‌​​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​​​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‌‍​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​​​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍​‍​‌‍‌​​‍‌​‌​​‌‍​​‌​‍‌​‍‌​‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‌‍​‍​‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍​‌​​‍‌​‍​​​‍​‌‌‍​‌​​‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‌​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍​‍‌‌Introducing the Upgraded Mira: Bringing In-Space Mobility to GEO and Beyond The Show Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.comFollow @WeHaveMECOFollow @meco@spacey.space 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 NASA/John KrausWork with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • T+323: The Artemis Roadmap Shakeup

    T+323: The Artemis Roadmap Shakeup
    Feb 27 2026

    NASA 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.

    This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—David, Russell, Pat, Better Every Day Studios, Joonas, Josh from Impulse, Theo and Violet, Steve, Jan, Will and Lars from Agile, Miles O’Brien, Kris, Fred, Stealth Julian, Frank, Joakim, Ryan, Warren, Matt, The Astrogators at SEE, Joel, Lee, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Donald, Natasha Tsakos, Heiko, and four anonymous—and hundreds of supporters.

    Topics

    • NASA shakes up its Artemis program to speed up lunar return - Ars Technica
    • NASA Adds Mission to Artemis Lunar Program, Updates Architecture - NASA
    • NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “President Trump gave the world the Artemis Program, and NASA and our partners have the plan to deliver. We will standardize architecture where possible, add missions and accelerate flight rate, execute in an evolutionary way, and safely return American astronauts to the Moon…”
    • NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “…and this is how we’re going back.”
    • Teams Begin Artemis II Repairs in Vehicle Assembly Building - NASA

    The Show

    • Like the show? Support the show on Patreon or Substack!
    • Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com
    • Follow @WeHaveMECO
    • Follow @meco@spacey.space on Mastodon
    • Listen to MECO Headlines
    • Listen to Off-Nominal
    • Join the Off-Nominal Discord
    • Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Spotify, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn or elsewhere
    • Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter
    • Artwork photo by Blue Origin
    • Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins