Major US Launches this Week:

• MON pm CA Falcon9  Starlink (nice evening shots with new hi-res cameras)
• TUE am FL Falcon9  Starlink
★ THU pm CA Falcon9  SDA      (clear day, nice landing vids)
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Updated: 16 JUL / 2330 (all times US Eastern)
Last week

Rocket Pr0n (full-screen worthy)
Archimedes second stage engine full duration burn - complete ✅ (and what a thing of beauty). 

The AVac (Archimedes Vacuum) engine produces 1.2x lbf of its Stage 1 variant and stands ~2.5m taller thanks to its extended nozzle optimized for the vacuum conditions of space.

Recent… pic.twitter.com/zFb6cKNy1g
— Rocket Lab (@RocketLab) July 14, 2026
  

4 THOUGHTS ON “Stuff That’s Hard to Do (12-18 July)”

• Neat flame. What’s that engine fueled with?

  • methalox: liquid oxygen + liquid methane

    Methalox is also used in Starship, both stages.

    Falcon9 uses liquid oxygen + rocket-grade kerosene (RP-1).

• Methalox. Sounds like the newest illegal drug of the day. ;>)
  Lox and hydrogen, hypergolic fuels, all the -enes and -thanes, volatile, corrosive, toxic, explosive, pressurized fuel for those controlled burn bombs…
  Yannow, somebody needs to give a great big attaboy to all those who handle them. Unsung heroes in my book.
  Thanks for the info, Doug.

• Methalox. Sounds like the newest illegal drug of the day. ;>)
  Lox and hydrogen, hypergolic fuels, all the -enes and -thanes, volatile, corrosive, toxic, explosive, pressurized fuel for those controlled burn bombs…
  Yannow, somebody needs to give a great big attaboy to all those who handle them. Unsung heroes in my book.
  Thanks for the info, Doug.

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