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Main Engine Cut Off

Main Engine Cut Off

By: Anthony Colangelo
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MECO is opinion and analysis of spaceflight, exploration, policy, and strategy, by Anthony Colangelo.© 2016–2026 Colangelo Studios, LLC Natural History Nature & Ecology Science
Episodes
  • 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
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    35 mins
  • 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
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    40 mins
  • 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 NASA/John Kraus
    • Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works
    Show more Show less
    30 mins
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