The Overview — Trajectory
Fueling the next generation of aerospace engineers
Trajectory
The path followed by a moving object under the influence of forces; the course of a journey shaped by intention and adaptation
Welcome back to The Overview! After a short break from our regular scheduling, we’re back with an inspiring new podcast episode and updates from an extraordinary few weeks in aerospace:
🎙️ Sit down with Tycho Bogdanowitsch, a Stanford Aeronautics and Astronautics graduate student, as he unpacks his journey from Columbia University to the cutting edge of the New Space industry. From tackling orbital debris mitigation to navigating space investment, Tycho shares insights on the future of commercial space.
🌞 Meanwhile, Blue Origin’s New Glenn rocket successfully reached orbit, Firefly’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s Resilience launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9, and SpaceX’s Starship Flight Test 7 delivered progress despite setbacks
👥 Personal Experiences
This week on The Overview podcast, we hosted a talented aerospace engineer who is currently an Aeronautics and Astronautics graduate student at Stanford, Tycho Bogdanowitsch. Tycho has many unique experiences, from work in orbital debris mitigation to developing a market research report at a space investment firm. Anshuk sat down with Tycho to discuss:
🧑🎓 His internships and past experiences as a student at Columbia University.
🛰️ A look into the current “New Space” industry, filled with budding startups and rapid innovation.
🚀 A discussion into where commercial space is headed, and some trends Tycho is keeping his eye on.
🎧 Looking into Tycho’s list of favorite aerospace media, such as books, films, podcasts, etc.
Watch the full episode below or find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
🚀 Aerospace News
The last few weeks of January were tremendous for aerospace! As some people have said online, these few weeks would have been a good year for the space industry a decade ago. We will highlight three major aerospace events that happened within two days!
A quick shoutout to the Indian Space Research Organization for the success of their SPADEX mission, which saw India become only the fourth nation to successfully dock two satellites in orbit!
Blue Origin is Orbital!
Blue Origin’s long-awaited massive New Glenn rocket finally lifted off on January 16th, 2025 to great success! The second stage (code-named GS-2) reached orbit successfully along with the test Blue Ring payload. Reaching orbit on its debut launch is almost completely unheard of for rockets (especially one this big), so this feat is extremely commendable and speaks to the immense effort the Blue Origin team put in. The secondary goal of landing the first stage of New Glenn (called GS-1) did not happen, but that was a stretch goal for the first launch either way.
Two (!) Spacecraft are Headed to the Moon
Source: Guardian
We reported last month that 2025 is going to be a great year for lunar missions, with landers from multiple companies getting ready. Two of these landers, Firefly’s Blue Ghost and ispace’s Resilience, launched on board the same SpaceX Falcon 9 on January 15th. It’s the first lunar lander for Texas-based Firefly, with the lander expected to reach the lunar surface and attempt landing in March. The Japanese ispace lander is going to take a longer route, with landing expected in late May or early June. ispace previously attempted a landing attempt in April 2023 but failed due to an issue with their altitude estimation logic and radar systems.
Let’s hope both these landers are successful as we usher into a new age of lunar exploration!
A Bittersweet Starship Flight Test 7
Starship took off smoothly from its Boca Chica launch site in South Texas on Thursday afternoon, January 16th with a completely revamped upper stage named “Ship V2”. Amongst various upgrades included a dramatic reduction in the size and change in position of the forward flaps, and multiple experimental tiles to guide future heat shield design decisions. SpaceX proved that the successful booster catch from flight 5 was not a fluke by once again performing it perfectly (with less fire this time!). Unfortunately, the second stage saw a malfunction in the aft, leading to a loss of communication and the flight termination system destroying the rocket over the Carribean. Although it created some spectacular views, it seems like safety is likely to be brought up by regulatory boards before the next test flight.
💬 Quote of the Week
"As for the future, your task is not to foresee it, but to enable it."
— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Thanks for joining us for The Overview—The Trajectory edition. From rockets finding their trajectory to Tycho’s insights on navigating the evolving space industry, this week is all about charting a course forward.
As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, it’s a chance to reflect on the trajectories that define not just space exploration, but our own paths—whether in careers, ideas, or the relationships we cultivate.
If you enjoyed this edition, share The Overview with a friend or colleague who’s passionate about aerospace! We’d love to hear about your own trajectory—feel free to reach out at admin@theoverview.org with any feedback or requests for future topics!
Stellar vibes,
Tycho, Tagg, Anshuk, Maggie, Isaac