256 - The Ellis Number

Jake and Anthony break down the oh-my-god-how-long-is-this-update Artemis III and IV updates, and the current SpaceX-turning-away-from-the-industry discourse.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 263 - Eric’s Burger Article - YouTubeArtemis Acceleration (Oct. 23, 2026) - YouTubeSpaceX no longer needs NASA, and that's a problem for America's space agency - Ars TechnicaFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony run through the news to talk about MMX and its Phobos sample return, the return of Venus missions, and the always-talked-about-dearth-of-launch-vehicles.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 262 - Barely Moons - YouTubeJapan launches mission to bring home a piece of the Martian moon Phobos - Ars TechnicaThings are finally looking up for NASA's first missions to Venus in a generation - Ars TechnicaBlue Origin is going all in on the New Glenn rocket - Ars TechnicaDoes anyone actually want to win the medium-lift race in the United States? - Ars TechnicaSpaceX to attempt Starship catch on next flight, with eye on rapid cadence increase - Ars TechnicaFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony are joined by Eric Berger, Senior Space Editor at Ars Technica, to talk about the latest Starliner situation, LEO beyond Dragon, and NASA’s commercial LEO policy.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 261 - I am the LEO Economy (with Eric Berger) - YouTubeNASA issues long-awaited call to industry for private space stations - Ars TechnicaNASA has a Dragon dilemma, and there appear to be no good answers - Ars TechnicaBoeing "incredibly excited" to serve as nation's only astronaut transportation - Ars TechnicaEric Berger on X: "The next spacecraft to land humans on the Moon will be:" / XThe Commercial LEO Roast During IgnitionFollow EricAuthor: Eric Berger - Ars TechnicaEric Berger (@SciGuySpace) / XReentry: SpaceX, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets that Launched a Second Space Age | West Houston's Neighborhood BookshopFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony are joined by Scott Edwards, Director and Executive Producer of To the Black, a documentary chronicling Firefly’s journey from bankruptcy to almost bankruptcy again to international drama to orbit and all the moments in between.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 260 - Launching on Thursday (with Scott Edwards) - YouTubeTo the Black – MovieFirefly co-founder Markusic to step down as CEO - SpaceNewsFeds who forced Ukrainian investor to sell rocket company backtrack years later - Ars TechnicaFollow ScottAustin Video Production - Merit ProductionsFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony are joined by Astra founder and CEO Chris Kemp to talk about the company’s road back from the brink, Rocket 4, and why he still sees a path for it today.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 259 - Overhead (with Chris Kemp) - YouTubeAstra Rocket 4.0 | Private Space Launch CompanyAstra is Poised to Rewrite the 'Commercial' Rocket Equation with its 2027 Rocket 4 Launch - The DebriefAstra Launches NASA's ELaNa 41 Mission - YouTubeFollow ChrisChris Kemp (@Kemp) / XFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony are joined by Daniel Drew of the University of Hawaiʻi to talk about SPARK, his concept for exploring Titan’s caves with aerobots powered by solid-state atmospheric ion thrusters. Seriously.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 258 - Not a Space Guy (with Daniel Drew) - YouTubeSPARKThis Crazy Robot Could Explore the CAVES of Titan [NIAC 2026] - YouTubeHuygens's descent to Titan's surface - YouTubeOryctes rhinoceros - WikipediaSpotted lanternfly - WikipediaSpotted Lanternfly Alert | Commonwealth of PennsylvaniaHere’s Why You Should Kill Spotted Lanternflies - The New York TimesFollow DanDaniel S. Drew - University of HawaiiThe Drew Research LabFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony are joined by Nick Cialdella, CTO of Varda Space Industries, to talk about manufacturing pharmaceuticals in space, the reentry technology that brings them back to Earth, Varda’s hypersonic testbed, and the business case for making things in orbit.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 257 - Can You Fix Our RV? (with Nick Cialdella) - YouTubeSpace born, Earth bound • Varda Space IndustriesVarda Space Storefront: Hawaiian ShirtThe Definitive Winnebago Man - YouTube (…language warning)Winnebago Man | Full Documentary Movie | Jack Rebney - YouTube (…also language warning)Could this be the moment that drug manufacturing takes off in orbit? - Ars TechnicaFollow NickNicholas Cialdella | LinkedInFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony talk about Blue Origin building the Mars Telecommunications Network, Stoke splashing the cash and talking up Nova Block 2, and Anthony has a weird theory about Jared Isaacman.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 256 - The Ellis Number - YouTubeNASA selects Blue Origin for Mars communications orbiter - SpaceNewsStoke Space Raises $1 Billion to Accelerate Fully Reusable Launch | Stoke SpaceNova Block 2 | Stoke SpaceWith another huge infusion of cash, Stoke Space goes even bigger - Ars TechnicaTrump White House just tossed a grenade into international space relations - Ars TechnicaGerman company becomes first in Europe to launch fully commercial orbital rocket - Ars TechnicaThe Exploration Company (TEC) secures $450 million in the largest-ever Series C by a European space companyEurope may finally have found a space entrepreneur who is meeting the moment - Ars TechnicaNASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “@NASAWatch Few thoughts in response: 1) NASA has not given up on LEO. Within weeks of being on the job, I publicly addressed the Starliner situation and the role NASA played in it, and we have since taken a very active role with Boeing in implementing the investigation recommendations and…”Fetterman Has a Surprise Cameo at Trump’s Convention - The New York TimesNASA Administrator Jared Isaacman on X: “NASA is heading to the @NFL. @NASA operates a fleet of aircraft for astronaut training and cutting-edge high-speed and high-altitude research. In celebration of America’s 250th birthday, to showcase our technology and inspire the next generation, we are taking some of those…”Follow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony are joined by Matt Gjertsen, Founder of BUILT, to talk about his book, Minimum Viable Manager: Three Essential Skills for Leading Technical Teams That Solve Big Problems, the recovery of Starship at Christmas Island, and Starbase Louisiana.TopicsOff-Nominal - YouTubeEpisode 255 - Sorry, Reno (with Matt Gjertsen) - YouTubeAmazon.com: Minimum Viable Manager: Three Essential Skills for Leading Technical Teams That Solve Big Problems: 9781774587270: Gjertsen, Matt: BooksAgainst all odds, SpaceX finally tugs Starship into port after 24 days at sea - Ars TechnicaPhotos by SpaceX (@SpaceX) / XSpaceX intends to invest up to $100 billion in massive Louisiana spaceport - Ars TechnicaUS12234039B2 - Repeating ground track orbits for a reusable launch vehicle - Google PatentsFollow MattBuilt LeadersEasily listen to Leadership Launchpad – Team Development, & Performance Improvement for Aerospace & Technology Managers in your podcast app of choiceEasily listen to A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar in your podcast app of choiceFollow Off-NominalSubscribe to the show! - Off-NominalSupport the show, join the DiscordOff-Nominal (@offnom) / TwitterOff-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow JakeWeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to MarsWeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | TwitterJake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | TwitterJake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceFollow AnthonyMain Engine Cut OffMain Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | TwitterMain Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey SpaceAnthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | TwitterAnthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘Off-Nominal MerchandiseOff-Nominal Logo TeeWeMartians Shop | MECO Shop

Jake and Anthony are joined by Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Former Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate and leader of ETH Zurich Space, to talk about the state of science missions at NASA. Topics Off-Nominal - YouTube Episode 254 - An Advocate of Crazy (with Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen) - YouTube QuantumScape Co-Founder and CTO Sells His Trust's Entire Stake in the Company for $76,465 | The Motley Fool NASA Awards More Moon Base Science, Previews New Opportunities - NASA The Cost of a PROMISE | The Planetary Society Has NASA already found life on Mars? | Scientific American Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope - NASA Science Follow Thomas Thomas Zurbuchen Thomas Zurbuchen (@Dr_ThomasZ) / X Follow Off-Nominal Subscribe to the show! - Off-Nominal Support the show, join the Discord Off-Nominal (@offnom) / Twitter Off-Nominal (@[email protected]) - Spacey Space Follow Jake WeMartians Podcast - Follow Humanity's Journey to Mars WeMartians Podcast (@We_Martians) | Twitter Jake Robins (@JakeOnOrbit) | Twitter Jake Robins (@[email protected]) - Spacey Space Follow Anthony Main Engine Cut Off Main Engine Cut Off (@WeHaveMECO) | Twitter Main Engine Cut Off (@[email protected]) - Spacey Space Anthony Colangelo (@acolangelo) | Twitter Anthony Colangelo (@[email protected]) - jawns.club 🐘 Off-Nominal Merchandise Off-Nominal Logo Tee WeMartians Shop | MECO Shop