The new version of the Starship booster had an issue on the pad.
Hopefully, they’ll figure it out quickly, and it won’t be too big a setback.
All posts by Rand Simberg
Another Space Bureaucracy
I don’t understand why this wouldn’t be in NASA’s charter. You can say they haven’t been doing a very good job of it, but the response to that should be to fix that, not create another agency.
The Louisville Crash
I remember the Chicago event. It’s interesting that some aircraft get their lives extended forever (e.g., the B-52 and the 737) and others age out.
Military Necessity
…and the right to repair.
It’s a complicated issue. I wonder how much this issue is going to bleed over into space hardware?
Reality Has Caught Up To “Climate Change”
Good news, from VDH.
Here We Go Again
Trump has renominated Jared Isaacman.
This is good news if he doesn’t change his mind again.
[Wednesday-morning update]
Thoughts from Eric Berger.
[11-10 update]
A post on X that Jared posted just before the announcement:
It is unfortunate that NASA’s team and the broader space community have to endured distractions like this. There are extraordinary opportunities and some risks ahead and so the focus should be on the mission. With many reporters and other interested parties reaching out, I want… https://t.co/IyPVmHUAzo
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) November 4, 2025
He’s going to push as hard for reform as is politically possible.
[November 17th update]
Jim Meigs has a good description of the state of play, including quotes from Yours Truly.
[Bumped]
The Fascist Kennedy Family
It’s just more evidence of the failing of the American media that too many Americans still worship these people as royalty.
A “Simplified” Lunar Architecture
What could it look like?
Congrats To Blue Origin
We now have two American launch companies that are recovering boosters (well, three, if we count Rocketlab).
[Update a while later]
Thoughts from Bob Zimmerman.
Michelle Bachman
…has resigned from the Heritage Foundation over its refusal to sanction Kevin Roberts for his own refusal to criticize Tucker Carlson’s descent into anti-Semitism.
She attended my trial for several days and stood by Mark and I. She struck me as a very good woman.