T+278: Firefly Alpha’s New Launch Sites, ISS News Blitz (Deorbit Vehicle, Collins Spacesuits, and Starliner)

Firefly added launch sites in Virginia (fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-adds-a…) and Sweden (fireflyspace.com/news) for its Alpha vehicle. NASA has selected SpaceX (nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-internation…) to build the ISS US Deorbit Vehicle, closed out their task orders (arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/nasas-commercial…) to Collins for ISS spacesuits, and decided to keep Starliner (spacenews.com/starliner-to-remain-on-iss-for-m…) at the ISS for a few more weeks.
This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 33 executive producers—Joel, The Astrogators at SEE, Warren, Russell, Joonas, Stealth Julian, Pat from KC, Will and Lars from Agile Space, Benjamin, Tyler, Harrison, Lee, Steve, Theo and Violet, Jan, Matt, David, Bob, Ryan, Donald, Pat, Kris, Josh from Impulse Space, Better Every Day Studios, Fred, Tim Dodd (the Everyday Astronaut!), Frank, SmallSpark Space Systems, and four anonymous—and 818 other supporters (mainenginecutoff.com/support).
Topics
• Firefly Aerospace Adds Alpha Launch Capability on Wallops Island, Virginia (fireflyspace.com/news/firefly-aerospace-adds-a…)
• SSC and Firefly Aerospace to Launch Satellites from Esrange in Sweden (fireflyspace.com/news/ssc-and-firefly-aerospac…)
• NASA Selects International Space Station US Deorbit Vehicle - NASA (nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-selects-internation…)
• Eric Berger on X (x.com/SciGuySpace/status/1806762777333076064): “Bill Spetch, operations integration manager for NASA’s International Space Station Program, confirms that the US Deorbit Vehicle will be based on "Dragon heritage" hardware. It will involve modifications of the trunk.”
• NASA’s International Space Station Deorbit Analysis Summary White Paper (nasa.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/iss-deorbi…)
• NASA’s commercial spacesuit program just hit a major snag | Ars Technica (arstechnica.com/space/2024/06/nasas-commercial…)
• NASA Collins xEVAS Update – Space Station (blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2024/06/26/nasa-co…)
• Starliner to remain on ISS for more thruster tests - SpaceNews (spacenews.com/starliner-to-remain-on-iss-for-m…)
The Show
• Like the show? Support the show (mainenginecutoff.com/support)!
• Email your thoughts, comments, and questions to anthony@mainenginecutoff.com
• Follow @WeHaveMECO (twitter.com/WeHaveMECO)
• Follow @meco@spacey.space (spacey.space/@meco) on Mastodon
• Listen to MECO Headlines (mainenginecutoff.com/headlines)
• Listen to Off-Nominal (offnom.com)
• Join the Off-Nominal Discord (discord.offnominal.space)
• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts (itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/main-engine-cut-of…), Overcast (overcast.fm/itunes1105457520/main-engine-cut-off), Pocket Casts (pca.st/e0qI), Spotify (open.spotify.com/show/16iCltJIbl8tB8sBi6SEP3), Google Play (playmusic.app.goo.gl/?ibi=com.google.PlayMusic…), Stitcher (stitcher.com/podcast/main-engine-cut-off), TuneIn (beta.tunein.com/radio/Main-Engine-Cut-Off-p101…) or elsewhere (mainenginecutoff.com/podcast/feed)
• Subscribe to the Main Engine Cut Off Newsletter (mainenginecutoff.com/newsletter)
• Artwork photo by twitter.com/SpaceX/status/1798792222743122164
• Work with me and my design and development agency: Pine Works (pineworks.co)