This week Iain and Ethan discuss everything around New Glenns second flight including a genius way of keeping the booster stable of the droneship. We also have a few updates to Firefly's mishap from September, the Baguette one is going orbital, and SES gave Relativity a contract. We wrap the week up with our launch roundup with the final non Amazon or Starliner Atlas V launch.

Blue Origin Launches Escapade

Shenzou 20 has safely returned to earth

Relativity has signed a multi launch agreement with SES

Firefly shares information on their test failure

RocketLab Q3 2025 financial results

Kuiper now Amazon Leo

Raytheon and Lockheed Martin parter with Avio to provide solid rocket booster production in the US

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This week Iain and Ethan discuss all things IAC which, shockingly, isnt much. They also talk about firefly's mishap during a test, a new reusable vehicle Avio is designing, and they discuss everyones favorite company Vantor!

• https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/09/after-another-fiery-setback-it-seems-fireflys-alpha-rocket-is-still-in-beta/
• https://europeanspaceflight.com/avio-wins-e40m-esa-contract-to-design-reusable-upper-stage-demo/
• https://vantor.com/
• https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/02/dismantling_discovery/
• https://www.australiandefence.com.au/news/news/australian-space-institute-launches-at-iac-2025

• 
  

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This week Iain and Ethan discuss all the happenings at NASA, and boy was there a lot to talk about! First we congratulated the new class of astronaut candidates, then we discuss the Artemis two timeline. Blue Origin also got the VIPER contract and SpaceX could be the biggest delay in the Artemis program. Iain then goes on a lengthy rant about NASA leadership that he will someday regret. Then, to cap off the show they discuss some issues surrounding DreamChaser.

• NASA 2025 astronaut class -press release
• Artemis II gets a launch date -SpaceNews
• Blue Origin receives VIPER contract -press release
• NASA safety panel concludes that HLS is "significantly challenged" -SpacePolicyOnline
• Joseph Pelfrey resigns as the director of Marshal Space Flight Center -WHNT
• Dream Chaser no longer allowed to dock to ISS -ars Technica

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Show Notes:

https://www.spacecom.mil/Newsroom/News/Article-Display/Article/4308024/press-release-us-and-uk-demonstrate-partnership-in-first-ever-on-orbit-operation/https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/09/rocket-lab-eyes-mto-nasa-revives-mission-concepthttps://www.blueorigin.com/news/blue-origin-mars-telecommunications-orbiterhttps://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2025/09/crs-ng-23https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/esdmd/common-exploration-systems-development-division/space-launch-system/nasa-artemis-ii-moon-rocket-ready-to-fly-crew

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Max-Q: The Podcast is a Max-Q News production, owned by the Kaidem Group LLC. Any views expressed in this podcast are not necessarily that of either Max-Q News or our parent company and should not be interpreted as such unless expressly stated.

https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/firefly-granted-faa-clearance-resume-alpha-rocket-launches-2025-08-26/

https://www.nasa.gov/news-release/nasa-astronaut-megan-mcarthur-retires/

https://rocketlabcorp.com/updates/rocket-lab-opens-launch-complex-3-a-critical-milestone-on-the-path-to-neutrons-first-launch/

https://www.exploration.space/blog/the-exploration-companys-nyx-earth-capsule-receives-phase-1-iss-safety-approval

In this weeks show Iain and Ethan discuss all the various new contracts and missions that got announced this past week, and boy, there are some very interesting things to note here!!

Amentum secures a 4 billion dollar contract to revamp the range systems by the space force

The UK Space Agency has been shut down and absorbed by the DSIT

ESA announced a mission to asteroid Apophis

SpinLaunch raised $30 million to develop their satellite communication network

Firefly announced that they would be adding a new launch site in japan

In homage to one of our past episodes, entitled "Nothing Went Boom", we talked about a very important boom this week. For a while. Actually, we talked about a couple of booms. What booms are those? Well, tune in and find out!

Also, Beagle goes on a whole rant about funky astrophysicist naming schemes. They're... weird.

This week Ethan and Iain discuss the politics surrounding NASA and the pulled nomination of Jared Isaacman. We also discuss the fallout between Musk and Trump and what that means for SpaceX contracts. After the political bit we talk about the Hakuto R mission and StarShip's ninth test flight.

Our Links:Max-Q News website: ⁠https://max-q-news.space/%E2%81%A0Max-Q News X (formerly Twitter): ⁠https://twitter.com/MaxQ_production%E2%81%A0Max-Q News Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/JTgxuvjY7e