2. To design a spacecraft right takes an infinite amount of effort. This is why it's a good idea to design them to operate when some things are wrong.
Joined January 2020
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Stoke is looking to get into the spacecraft/payload side of the house. Seen previously with S3 but this is a bit of a broader scope.
job-boards.greenhouse.io/sto…
job-boards.greenhouse.io/sto…
I remember when I got to ask the Landspace CMO via @DongFangHour about whether they were working on a 5m diameter rocket and the answer was no. It's been a fun journey and I can't stop smiling; that is such a clean landing.
youtu.be/poGNspdofqo?t=4236
MISSION SUCCESS | ZhuQue-3 Y2 Reusable Launch Vehicle Achieved Full Success in Orbital Insertion and First-Stage Recovery
On August 19, 2026, at 07:35 (UTC+8), the ZhuQue-3 (ZQ-3) Y2 reusable launch vehicle lifted off from the Dongfeng Commercial Space Innovation Pilot Zone. Approximately 137 seconds after lift-off, the first and second stages separated. The second stage continued its flight and successfully delivered the Honghu 03 satellite, independently developed by Hongqing Technology, into its designated orbit. At approximately 07:41, the first stage performed a successful soft touchdown at the LandSpace Landing Site#1 in Minqin County, Gansu Province, following the planned trajectory — marking the full success of the flight test mission.
On May 27 2010, Elon saw this Masten Space hop video which is what led to SpaceX going down the VTVL path; they recovered B1019 2035 days later.
youtube.com/watch?v=01FcUEjw…
The initial Themis contract was awarded on 15/12/2020 and it still hasn't flown 2053 days later...
🚀 A major milestone for Themis at Esrange Space Center.
On 23 July 2026, ArianeGroup and SSC Space teams completed a flight chronology rehearsal, also known as a wet dress rehearsal, with the Themis reusable stage demonstrator, as part of the EU-funded SALTO test campaign.
Using liquid nitrogen in place of liquid oxygen and liquid methane, the teams simulated launch operations under cryogenic conditions, with temperatures as low as -200°C.
The full-day rehearsal covered the countdown chronology, from the pre-flight preparation of the demonstrator and launch pad to the post-virtual-launch operations required to safe the site.
This test has provided essential data for the next stages of the campaign and marks further progress towards the Hop Test: Europe’s first flight test with recovery.
Following SALTO’s test-and-learn approach, each successive demonstration helps develop and mature the technologies required for reusability, bringing Europe closer to sovereign capabilities in reusable space technologies.
The teams are now working to define the window for the next test.
#RocketMakers #Civil #Themis
@SSCspace @EU_Commission @ESA_transport @projectsalto
So, $2.1B for SR-1, probably about ~$1.5B spent on PPE up to this point and another ~$0.5B on Skyfall; ~$4B total. What are we even doing at this point NASA?
You can see Rocket Lab crying over in the corner.
.@NASA just put a $2B price tag on its nuclear Mars mission. Space Reactor-1 Freedom is said to be the first fission-powered interplanetary spacecraft, but it's coming at a massive cost.
The $2B estimate doesn't even include the cost of SkyFall, NASA’s next Mars helicopter mission, to scout landing sites ahead of crewed landings.
Check out the full story by Payload reporter @vicky_woodburn: payloadspace.com/nasa-puts-2…
It's kinda wack that the most up to date New Glenn performance specs come from random hoodies.
Also Blue's merch game is still wild.
Relativity Space is starting their own planetary science program (whole bunch of job postings), which I guess makes sense given Schmidt's inclinations.
First mission aims to be a Mars orbiter focusing on enhancing Mars atmospheric modeling and weather forecasting.
Bit of emphasis on on-board compute, I can see the argument that downlink is hard from Mars and so autonomous tasking/processing could be nice to reduce strain on DSN. They are still developing optical comms though and the SC will be large enough to support Radar.
First insulation application didn't go well; Cryomode (Washington firm) updated their website on April 14th describing how they helped Stoke strip the insulation from the second stage with their dry ice blasting.
GOD DAMN IT I thought we done with the incredibly dumb Falcon Heavy $1,400/kg number.
no you cannot divide the fully reusable cost by fully expendable payload ($90M/63.8mT).
But what do you know, SpaceX put it in their own S-1 citing that NASA paper, which is outstandingly BS.
For context, it comes from the linked NASA paper, which has more flaws than Starship has engines, but what annoys me more is IT JUST KEEPS ON REAPPEARING. The linked article made the graph pretty and it got posted everywhere.
ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/…
visualcapitalist.com/the-cos…
Closest thing to a NASA Project Hail Mary. If it succeeds I will cheer very loudly.
Also OSAM will have to eat its heart out.
Testing is officially underway for the @KatalystSpace mission to boost @NASA’s Swift.
Katalyst’s LINK spacecraft has arrived at @NASAGoddard to begin environmental testing ahead of efforts to raise the Swift Observatory back to its original orbit this summer. Extending Swift’s lifetime will allow it to continue exploring our dynamic universe and drive new capabilities for space exploration.
🔗 go.nasa.gov/3Os12Hq
ALT Several technicians wearing white cleanroom suits, gloves, and hair coverings work together in a laboratory setting to inspect a large, box-shaped piece of equipment with exposed internal components of a spacecraft
Rocket Lab have now tweeted a strong 14 times about their Mars Telecommunication Orbiter as opposed to Blue Origin's measly 10 times. This gap will surely be the reason Rocket Lab wins the contract; keep at it PR teams!
(I will cry laugh if Marslink wins)
So yes, the amendment does cancel EUS. But it also does some things. xEMUs is back on the menu. MSR is back with a $8B cost cap. Mars commercial missions that only Starship can fulfill "Mars-focused missions using commercially developed fully reusable heavy-lift launch systems"
Which is supposed to launch the human tissue experiment.
teapawt.net/jeff_foust/status/2029…
Also guaranteeing that the Mars comm orbiter gravy train will not be affected by any MSR shenanigans. The protesting by either RL or Blue (or both) will be worse than HLS option A mark my words.
The NASA authorization act approved by the Senate Commerce Committee today includes a study of a human Mars mission—sort of.
ALT (1) HUMAN TISSUE EXPOSURE MISSION.— (A) IN GENERAL.—A study to assess the feasibility, cost, and potential scientific value of a mission to transport and deploy human tissue samples t o the surface of Mars for the purpose of studying biological and environmental effects on human tissue i n the Martian environment i n preparation for future human missions to Mars under the Artemis program.
Some strong complements for Nancy Grace, which you know, happy for them. Valves also featured, some stuff about MMOD management, lunar power contracts, some hypersonics work for DOD (also did you know that NASA is now helping Anduril develop missiles) nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/…