2011 began a dark period for the US human space launch program. With the tragic destruction of the Columbia shuttle in 2003, the tough decision was made to retire the entire shuttle system without a viable replacement in sight. For the first time since 1961, the United States would be without a way of sending someone into space. For nearly the next decade, the US would have to rely on Russia for its rides to the international space station, at a pretty premium cost. NASA announced that this status quo would finally come to a close with the SpaceX Dragon capsule, and Boeing’s Starliner. These projects would develop together to give competition and options to the US and other customers. In November 2020, I stood on a beach and watched as the Dragon first reopened US human space flight. And now, two years later in 2022, Boeing has announced that they are delaying their capsule, yet again. Today we will talk about what went wrong and what will happen from here. This and all the rest happening in the world of space today. 
Welcome to the Undiscovered Country. Welcome to the Undiscovered Country!  This is part of my Space Brief series where I outline the top 5 most important things that are happening in the world of space.  This is not going to be a super polished and super edited presentation, but a short overview of important events including some commentary about why it all matters.  This is not a one-sided presentation, it’s a discussion.  Did I get the stories right?  Did I miss an important consideration?  Join the conversation and let me know!   
Sources: https://www.space.com/axiom-space-nasa-international-space-station-saudi-astronauts https://www.nasa.gov/feature/Goddard/2022/scanning-the-sky-for-showstopping-explosions-with-nasa-s-roman-space-telescope https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2022/11/sls-return-to-lc-39b/ https://www.space.com/nasa-artemis-1-moon-mission-officials-confident-nov-14-launch https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/missions/artemis-program/ready-to-roll-artemis-1-set-to-return-to-pad-for-launch/ https://spacenews.com/long-march-5b-stage-reenters-over-pacific-ocean-after-forcing-airspace-closures-in-europe/ https://spacenews.com/rocket-from-chinese-space-station-module-launch-predicted-to-uncontrolled-reentry-nov-4/ https://spacenews.com/first-starliner-crewed-flight-further-delayed/ 
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***Typical legal disclaimer from a lawyer (occupational hazard): This is not legal advice, nor can I give you legal advice. Sorry! Everything here is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem. Nothing here should be construed to form an attorney-client relationship. Also, nothing that I say here should be seen as necessarily reflecting or declaring the opinions or official positions of anyone but myself; that is to include any former or current client, agency, corporation, or organization.***