Last week was rough for the Space Launch System. An issue with weld tooling was discovered, with some serious consequences, and then a LOX tank dome was dropped and damaged beyond repair. To top it off, NASA announced that EM-1 will fly without crew, and is delayed until 2019.

This episode of Main Engine Cut Off is brought to you by 12 executive producers—Pat, Matt, Jorge, Brad, Ryan, Laszlo, Jamison, Guinevere, and four anonymous—and 46 other supporters on Patreon.

NASA will not put a crew on EM-1, cites cost – not safety – as main reason | NASASpaceFlight.com
SLS Core Stage team recovering from consequences of weld pin change | NASASpaceFlight.com
NASA investigating damaged SLS tank section - SpaceNews.com
Options for Staging Orbits in Cis-Lunar Space (PDF, 4.7MB)
The Deep Space Gateway, Cislunar Staging Orbits, and Momentum - Main Engine Cut Off
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T+47: Uncrewed EM-1 Delayed to 2019

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