Minutes of May 9 Oklahoma Space Alliance Meeting
Oklahoma Space Alliance met May 9, 2026, at the Cyber Hall and Gaming Lounge at Norman Computers in Norman, Oklahoma. Attending were Clifford McMurray, Adam Hemphill, Mark Deaver (briefly), John Northcutt, Tim Scott, Dave Sheely and Syd Henderson, with Robin Scott joining us by phone. OSA President Clifford McMurray. presided over the meeting. He did an Update discussing links to material covered in the meeting and this is online https://osa.nss.org/Update2603.pdf so I’ll cover the details that aren’t covered there.
Bluebird 7 has a 2400 square meter antenna.
The goal for New Glenn is 25 flights for each first stage.
Reports are that Iran not only has access to Chinese satellites in the US-Iran war, but also Russian satellites.
If both SpaceX and Blue Origins are ready, we’ll have SpaceX, New Glenn and SLS ready for launch in a short period of time. If they go for one launch every ten months, they can’t do two launches to the Moon in 2028 unless the first launch is before April. [Two launches seem even more unlikely due to the New Glenn launchpad explosion, though it’s possible Blue Moon may be able to fly on a different rocket.—SFH]
Blue Origin anticipates twelve launches in 2026 and 50 by third quarter of 2028 and 100 by the end if 2029. [Obviously this is delayed because they need to repair the launch pad.]
In addition to corrosion issues on Gateway modules, there are corrosion issues on Axiom 1 and modules for the ISS. Issue reports apparently were withheld, Corrosion issues will be fixed by the end of the third quarter of this year.
SpaceX IPO is scheduled for Elon Musk’s birthday on June 28.
Firefly is also working on launching from Wallops Flight Facility (on the Delmarva Peninsula). So far they have launched from Vandenberg, and they want to launch from Sweden in 2028. [In which direction?—SFH]
Kip: In all fairness, The FAA’s launch fee could help deal with the increase of launches.
The fee starts at 25 cents per pound and goes up by ten cents per pound per year until it finally peaks at $1.50 in 2033, with a cap of $30,000 per launch or reentry. [I don’t know if this means some launches may have to pay $60,000 but I suspect so.]
The Oklahoma Air and
Space Port has been renamed Infinity One Oklahoma Spaceport. From the report on Channel 5 news in OKC. The renaming is promoted by the contract with Dawn Aerospace. The renovation of Burns Flat spaceport will cost $30 million. They say Dawn’s spaceplane has launched sixty times so far.
We went to the website for Astronauts for America.
We watched a video on SpaceX going to Mars.
We watched a video on space travel. NASA id launching a nuclear-powered mission to Mars.
Nuclear thermal is five times as efficient as conventional chemical rockets. Ion thrusters are ten times as efficient as conventional rockets. NASA is going for nuclear electron propulsion (SR-1). It would take one year to get to Mars.
Kip is going to the ISDC the first weekend in June and won’t be back for the June meeting. Adam Hemphill will preside.
We watched an interview with Jared Isaacman. [On the A16 show.]
--Minutes By OSA Secretary Syd Henderson
Contact person for Oklahoma Space Alliance is Clifford Mcmurray
PO Box 1003
Norman, OK 73070
Webmaster is Syd Henderson.
Copyright ©2026 by Oklahoma Space Alliance.