

SSGL #0031: SLS (Space Launch Social)
The launch industry is moving faster, and more chaotically, than ever. Starship is iterating at SpaceX speed. SLS is fighting for its budget life. New players are coming online with promises of cheaper access to orbit. Meanwhile, actual payloads are waiting for rides that may or may not materialize.
The Small Steps & Giant Leaps community is gathering to cut through the hype and figure out what's actually happening in launch. Join us for discussions on:
Starship's test campaign and what the path to operational reliability actually looks like
SLS vs. commercial alternatives and whether NASA's heavy lifter survives the next budget cycle
Emerging launch providers (Rocket Lab, Relativity, Stoke, Firefly) and who's real vs. vaporware
Launch cadence and capacity for the missions we're planning in 2026-2030
Refueling demonstrations and why they matter more than people think
Regulatory bottlenecks at the FAA and what's actually slowing down launches
Payload manifests and which missions are flight-ready vs. stuck in development hell
Whether you're a mission planner waiting for a ride to orbit, an investor evaluating launch companies, or an engineer looking to switch careers into something as wild as next-gen propulsion, this is where you'll get the unfiltered reality of the current launch landscape.
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