Given a chance, he would have been a greater mass murderer than Mao.
Category Archives: Space
Is Artemis Flirting With Disaster?
Thoughts from Glenn Reynolds.
I think it’s unlikely that they’ll lose astronauts, but it’s not a good look. But then, nothing about this program has been a good look.
100 Years Of Liquid Rockets
Robert Goddard flew his first one a century ago today.
Understanding Space Policy
A long but what looks to be interesting series, by my friend Bhavya Lal. It could eventually be a textbook on the subjectc.
And Now For Something Completely Different
— Unknown 🦛 (@probzunknown) March 13, 2026
I think that things are going to start happening rapidly, to the point that NASA will become almost irrelevant.
Great Space Policy News
I don’t have time to comment, but it looks like Jared is winning over the Senate.
Agree this is a significant & extremely positive development. Looks like the combo of @NASAAdmin's credibility, willingness to go public with existing program's shortcomings & crafting a plan giving SLS a chance to improve, while allowing competition worked! Promising indeed! https://t.co/xm9ecQaO8e
— Lori Garver (@Lori_Garver) March 4, 2026
A Good First Step
Not as good as a cancellation of SLS, but it’s a redirection toward some semblance of programmatic sanity.
NASA just announced a MAJOR overhaul of the Artemis program. Here’s what’s changed, according to @NASAAdmin @rookisaacman:
— Kristin Fisher (@KristinFisher) February 27, 2026
NEW MISSIONS:
Artemis 3 is no longer a moon landing 🤯 It's now a crewed test mission in Low Earth Orbit in 2027 – docking with SpaceX's Starship and/or…
[Update a couple minutes later]
Eric Berger has the story.
And, of course, Boeing continues the lies: ” “The SLS core stage remains the world’s most powerful rocket stage, and the only one that can carry American astronauts directly to the moon and beyond in a single launch.”
[Update a while later]
Northrop Grumman watching EUS die while their SRBs keeping losing nozzles https://t.co/lNfxd8qA1K pic.twitter.com/aYm2PFk8PP
— Space Koala (@SpaceKoala) February 27, 2026
Business As Usual
After overnight data showed an interruption in helium flow in the SLS interim cryogenic propulsion stage, teams are troubleshooting and preparing for a likely rollback of Artemis II to the VAB at @NASAKennedy. This will almost assuredly impact the March launch window. @NASA will…
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) February 21, 2026
Looks like April now (at best). Also looks like Starship 3 before Artemis II.
[Update a few minutes later]
— Petr Kraus (@PetrKraus42) February 21, 2026
[Afternoon update]
Sorry, second X post fixed now.
[Sunday-morning update]
Mark Whittington (!) says commercial space to the rescue.
Brutal
The new NASA administrator’s assessment of both NASA and Boeing’s performance on Commercial Crew:
Below is the note that I sent to the NASA workforce today as we release the report on the Starliner Crew Flight Test Investigation.
— NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman (@NASAAdmin) February 19, 2026
We will achieve success through extreme ownership, immense competence, and decisive action. pic.twitter.com/UoXI25PFOQ
[Late-afternoon update]
I don’t think that “Yikes!” really covers the waterfront here:
A sort of summary page I found in the Starliner PDF. Highlights are my own on things I find the most interesting. pic.twitter.com/rlzEn3J8tx
— Ken Kirtland IV (@KenKirtland17) February 19, 2026
Here‘s Eric Berger’s story.
[Evening update]
Thoughts from Bob Zimmerman.
Making Space Important
A thought experiment, to which I’ve gotten little response so far.
So, there's an argument going on in Space X (as opposed to SpaceX) about why we have to continue to waste money on SLS/Orion if we want to beat the Chinese back to the Moon. When I propose alternatives, I get objections like "Dragon can't come back from the Moon," "Nothing else…
— Not-So-OK Boomer (@Rand_Simberg) February 18, 2026