Blue Origin is suspending New Shepard space tourism launches for a minimum of 2 years. Looks like they are shifting resources to the Mark 2 lunar lander.

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"Resources will be redirected to further accelerate lunar human flight program ... The decision reflects Blue Origin's commitment to the nation's goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence,"

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The Kraken said:

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Blue Origin is suspending New Shepard space tourism launches for a minimum of 2 years. Looks like they are shifting resources to the Mark 2 lunar lander.

Quote:

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"Resources will be redirected to further accelerate lunar human flight program ... The decision reflects Blue Origin's commitment to the nation's goal of returning to the Moon and establishing a permanent, sustained lunar presence,"

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That Katie Perry Davos roast was inconvenient for them. Looks like they are trying to hide out the Trump Admin.

nortex97 said:

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Stretch goal for Starship V4 is 300 tons of thrust per engine with 33 engines, so 10,000 tons of total thrust.

That is 3 times the power of the Saturn V Moon rocket. https://t.co/W6QlbGJQa8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026

Wow.

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These numbers are meaningless until they actually demonstrate putting a payload in space with this rocket.

Right now, it's just aspirational theory crafting.

You gotta love to know at all, keeping it real crowd. They leave nothing to go unchallenged!

txags92 said:

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bmks270 said:

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nortex97 said:

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Stretch goal for Starship V4 is 300 tons of thrust per engine with 33 engines, so 10,000 tons of total thrust.

That is 3 times the power of the Saturn V Moon rocket. https://t.co/W6QlbGJQa8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026

Wow.

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These numbers are meaningless until they actually demonstrate putting a payload in space with this rocket.

Right now, it's just aspirational theory crafting.

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Yeah, because they have been so unsuccessful at everything else they have done so far compared to everybody else, right?

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Well, knowing how these development launch vehicles are developed and marketed, yes, I'm confident SpaceX is a long way from those numbers.

I'm not saying they won't hit them eventually, but with the older versions, those ones never put anything in orbit, and half of them failed in some manner.

bmks270 said:

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nortex97 said:

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Stretch goal for Starship V4 is 300 tons of thrust per engine with 33 engines, so 10,000 tons of total thrust.

That is 3 times the power of the Saturn V Moon rocket. https://t.co/W6QlbGJQa8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026

Wow.

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These numbers are meaningless until they actually demonstrate putting a payload in space with this rocket.

Right now, it's just aspirational theory crafting.

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They've flown multiple successful payload deployment demonstrations to date. True that they haven't flown the advertised payload mass, but Blue Origin hasn't sent anything to the moon and has only flown two New Glenn rockets. No one seems to doubt their lunar lander is legit.

txags92 said:

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bmks270 said:

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nortex97 said:

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Stretch goal for Starship V4 is 300 tons of thrust per engine with 33 engines, so 10,000 tons of total thrust.

That is 3 times the power of the Saturn V Moon rocket. https://t.co/W6QlbGJQa8

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 23, 2026

Wow.

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These numbers are meaningless until they actually demonstrate putting a payload in space with this rocket.

Right now, it's just aspirational theory crafting.

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Yeah, because they have been so unsuccessful at everything else they have done so far compared to everybody else, right?

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He's got a point. V2 was supposed to have something like a 100 ton payload, but it only came in around 35. They could put something in orbit with it tomorrow if they really wanted because the technology has basically been proven out, but they're still quite aways away from what they're initial payload targets were. They can certainly launch and land starship, but they're not close to getting that kind of tonnage in orbit yet. We'll see what V3 does.

I've read this claim elsewhere that V2 payload limits were disappointing, but I don't really think this is the case for the program with the test articles that were operated (sub-orbitally); it implies a weight gain or engine performance shortfall that just didn't happen. It usually originates from program detractors who really want to portray the system as failing. Yes, Block 2 payload capacity was dropped from an initial target of around 100 tons to approximately 35 tons to LEO. They incorporated iterative upgrades like a stretched upper stage (adding 3.1 m total vehicle height), 25% more propellant, redesigned/thinner flaps, integrated vented interstage, and yet then dropped using/testing Raptor 3 engines, pulling Block 3 forward for that. There was just no point in adding more changes to/testing further on Block 2.

They used conservative estimates or underperformance relative to simulations, and have adjusted to plan for Block 4 to target even higher loads (200 tons+), so they will get there once they get to an operational system. A similar radical iterative adjustment has happened also in all the GSE around the launch tower(s), and at Massey.

They just didn't start with a 'final' project design, but built stuff and then changed it as planned/observed. The alternative would be to go the Nasa probability risk assessment route and design everything so that there is a risk of failure of something like 1:270 from day/launch 1 (for manned launches), then you wind up with things like SLS-Artemis. For the controlled re-entries they did pull off, I would think SpaceX probably calculated more like a 1:3 chance of success, deliberately stressing the vehicles and trying to see what breaks first.

Anyway;

BREAKING: SpaceX wants to turn Space into the World’s Biggest AI Data Center.

• SpaceX is seeking approval to launch and operate up to one million satellites designed to function as orbital data centers.

• These satellites would provide massive computing power to support… pic.twitter.com/ez4yBVKXhH

— DogeDesigner (@cb_doge) January 31, 2026

That's…a big project, if they do move forward with it.

Booster 19 is about to be moved.

The Booster Cryo Stand has moved into Megabay 1 for Booster 19!!
📸: @LabPadre https://t.co/SFojZYnagM pic.twitter.com/4CwZ0rQQyb

— Niall-Ian Anderson (@INiallAnderson) January 31, 2026

This would move the valuation needle on the ipo and future earnings!

https://www.space.com/space-exploration/launches-spacecraft/russian-inspector-satellite-appears-to-break-apart-in-orbit-raising-debris-concerns

Put a new door and roof on it and he has a decent sized barn or workshop.

Looks like it's out on the boonies. He could build also put a still inside it and make some sure enough moonshine.

Ag87H2O said:

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Put a new door and roof on it and he has a decent sized barn or workshop.

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Bro needs to turn it into an AirBNB. He'll make a fortune

Gainesville, FL?

Really cool shot of the booster through the door of Megabay.

Booster 19 has been revealed in the doorway of Mega Bay 1.
A transport closure is in place for a move to Massey's from 9pm. pic.twitter.com/SIFvLQGJuT

— Avid Space (@LabPadre) February 1, 2026

Yeah, we know everything they did. They still didn't get remotely close to the projected payload of what V2 was supposed to deliver. They've done great things, but he's still right that these projections are meaningless until they demonstrate they can get something even close to that much to orbit.

ABATTBQ11 said:

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Yeah, we know everything they did. They still didn't get remotely close to the projected payload of what V2 was supposed to deliver. They've done great things, but he's still right that these projections are meaningless until they demonstrate they can get something even close to that much to orbit.

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Do you even know what a "stretch goal" is? It isn't a "we think this is going to happen the first time we fly a test with this ship" kind of thing. They have been pretty damn successful with every other rocket they have developed, so I have no reason to expect they won't eventually achieve what they hope with Starship.

Yes, but these have only been test articles, no starship has been built that failed to provide a capability as planned/designed, they just hadn't stretched the whole thing out yet, and used some seriously 'weaker' developmental engines to see if their calculations were going to prove out correct, is my point. I'm not attacking the posters here at all just some of the commentary from, well, SpaceX-detractors in industry/media that seem determined to find fault and/or fear the success of the program.

That looks awesome Zack! TY

The major tank farm and ground system upgrades related to Booster 19 include:

Methane (LCH4) Farm Revival: Teams have worked to bring the methane tank farm back to full operational status to handle the increased propellant requirements of V3… pic.twitter.com/VZk6x5Na8A

— Mission Status🚀💫 (@ARealRocketMan) February 1, 2026

Would be an enormous 'pop' if they test both concurrently and 'something' surprising went wrong (again). That's a lot of liquid nitrogen, too. I'd guess they still do them sequentially, but who knows.

txags92 said:

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ABATTBQ11 said:

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Yeah, we know everything they did. They still didn't get remotely close to the projected payload of what V2 was supposed to deliver. They've done great things, but he's still right that these projections are meaningless until they demonstrate they can get something even close to that much to orbit.

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Do you even know what a "stretch goal" is? It isn't a "we think this is going to happen the first time we fly a test with this ship" kind of thing. They have been pretty damn successful with every other rocket they have developed, so I have no reason to expect they won't eventually achieve what they hope with Starship.

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Yes, I do. That stretch goal is for thrust per engine, not payload. They've said repeatedly what the goal is for payload, and it's also in the infographic.

Gigabay is really coming along. I was at Starbase on 10/12 and there were maybe 8 or 10 pieces of steel vertical and bolted to the foundation. That was it.

Starbase Weekly discussion is live now - join on YouTube to learn more about Gigabay construction!

Image taken yesterday 1/31/2026 pic.twitter.com/nQPr8LgDNW

— RGV Aerial Photography (@RGVaerialphotos) February 1, 2026

Raptor V4 engines will need to deliver 300 (metric) tons of force for the 33 engines to generate a collective 10,000 tons of force.

Note, I use ton to refer to 10,000 Newtons of force. I just don’t like the way tonne-force looks and nobody knows what a Newton is. It also makes…

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2026

I think that is real, anyway. This significantly changes the amount of Delta-V V4 will be capable of delivering, improving Lunar starship capabilities from the get-go. I think V4 is what the HLS will inevitably wind up launching from (and refueling in orbit first).

Sigh, ok.

This was just updated on Nevada's secretary of state website.

XAI HOLDINGS LLC https://t.co/7hSqrG7SdP pic.twitter.com/6CGGpeN6xJ

— Robin (@xdNiBoR) February 2, 2026

SpaceX has acquired xAI, forming one of the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engines on (and off) Earth → https://t.co/3ODfcYnqfg pic.twitter.com/el40rCUBGe

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 2, 2026

I am guessing this will be largest IPO to date... guessing it is instantly $1T valuation.

JUST IN: Tesla to reportedly also be potentially included https://t.co/zz1HjYbF34

— Kalshi (@Kalshi) February 2, 2026

Artemis II: NASA blog post: "Teams have stopped the flow of liquid hydrogen through the tail service mast umbilical interface into the core stage after leak concentrations exceeded allowable limits. Stopping the flow allows engineers to perform troubleshooting procedures that… pic.twitter.com/MLGNBNVJzS

— William Harwood (@cbs_spacenews) February 2, 2026

The only part of that thing that isn't a leaking plumbing nightmare are the solid rocket boosters, though their vectoring nozzles are a risk with the huge volume of toxic fuel used to move them; at least Nasa didn't just pencil whip that they were not too old this time.

Really hope that mission/crew goes through the mission safely.

Same. I know I have mentioned this before but one of our good family friends works in MC for Artemis and I knew she is very excited/nervous.

Oh hey!

BREAKING: SpaceX acquired xAI valuing SpaceX at $1 trillion, and xAI was valued at $250 billion, per the Information

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) February 2, 2026

nortex97 said:

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The only part of that thing that isn't a leaking plumbing nightmare are the solid rocket boosters, though their vectoring nozzles are a risk with the huge volume of toxic fuel used to move them; at least Nasa didn't just pencil whip that they were not too old this time.

Really hope that mission/crew goes through the mission safely.

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I could be wrong but I thought they changed to electric TVC for SLS rather than the hydrazine system used in shuttle.

Getting frosty.

🚨Cryo loading is underway on Booster 19! pic.twitter.com/k58RNM4sK9

— Avid Space (@LabPadre) February 3, 2026