March 20, 2021

SpaceX Stacks Superheavy Booster at Texas Launch Site (Source: SpaceFlight Insider)
SpaceX's Superheavy Booster completed stacking operations for its two BN1 sections. This was a first of its kind occurrence, with a section of the High Bay roof actually needing to be removed in order to allow the crane hook to descend through it. Superheavy is the name given to the massive Stage 1 booster which will propel Starship on its operational missions, and its prototype iterations are taking on the “BN” (or Booster Number) serial number naming scheme.

Elon Musk stated on Twitter that BN1 will not actually fly, but rather be a production pathfinder to help the company develop the most efficient methods for producing and transporting the mammoth 70m tall stage. BN2 on the other hand is destined to fly, possibly in a short hop test similar to the early Starship SNs. When fully integrated with a Starship on top, the entire launch system will be known as “Starship Superheavy” and stand at a whopping 120 meters tall – the tallest space launch system ever conceived, taller than NASA’s Saturn V and SLS. (3/19)

Satellite Weterans Warn of Space SPAC Downside (Source: Space News)
While the SPAC spree is good news for early investors positioned to profit as these companies go public with multibillion-dollar valuations, Iridium's Matt Desch is not the only industry veteran questioning whether the trend is as good a deal for the businesses themselves and the wider industry. Viasat CEO Mark Dankberg compared the rush of companies going public with sky-high valuations despite little or no revenue to the dot-com bubble at the turn of the century. “I think it’s very dangerous,” Dankberg told SpaceNews.

The SPAC trend comes as equity markets are abuzz from social media-driven activity around stocks such as GameStop, which could spill over into space as the industry increasingly opens up to new types of investors. “I wouldn’t be surprised if these $1,400 stimulus checks get invested into a lot of SPAC stocks,” Desch quipped. He pointed to rampant investor exuberance he has seen sweeping across online message boards that discuss stocks. “You’ve got all these small-time investors just making up stuff — there are no fundamentals, no discussions of those sort of things,” he warned. (3/19)

Five Questions For Bill Nelson (Source: Ars Technica)
1. If commercial space can do a better job, should NASA buy in? 2. Do you still believe politicians should not run NASA? 3. How can NASA grow the nation’s global climate leadership? 4. Should NASA close up shop? 5. Why do you want this job? Click here. (3/19)