How much can DOJ redact Epstein files? And Blue Origin’s rocket fuel explained
We’re taking your comments and questions straight from YouTube — like whether the Justice Department can hide Epstein files behind “active investigations,” or why Blue Origin’s new rocket runs on methane — and putting them to the test in this week’s Straight From You.
Every week, we pull your comments, separate fact from speculation, and add the context that headlines often leave out.
You said:
The question:
What can the DOJ redact?
SAN answer:
Following a unanimous Senate vote and a 427-1 passage in the House, President Donald Trump has signed legislation mandating the release of federal files related to Jeffrey Epstein. According to the BBC, Attorney General Pam Bondi has now 30 days to make the files public. The disclosures span flight logs, internal Justice Department communications, and materials seized during federal raids.
The law permits withholding to protect ongoing investigations and certain privacy interests, the BBC reported. It also bars the department from hiding material “on the basis of embarrassment, reputational harm, or political sensitivity,” and requires Bondi to send Congress a report listing redactions and their legal basis. Other allowed withholdings include victim-identifying details, child sexual abuse imagery, and information kept secret for national defense or foreign policy.
Experts told CBC News the “active federal investigation” clause is a gray area often used for broad redactions, and DOJ officials are “trained to over-redact.” Trump recently directed Bondi to open inquiries into Epstein’s connections to several figures, and critics worry new probes could justify withholding swaths of material, CBC News reported. Bill sponsor Rep. Thomas Massie similarly warned DOJ could use investigations as a “smokescreen” to delay or limit disclosure, Axios reported. The statute says any withholdings must be “narrowly tailored and temporary.”
Redactions tied to active cases, classified information, or victim protection are allowed, but they must be limited, justified to Congress and cannot rest on embarrassment or political sensitivity. Still, attorneys told CBC News to expect disputes over scope, and Congress could push back if DOJ over-redacts.
Although Trump reversed earlier opposition and signed the bill after pressure from victims and allies, the “active investigation” and “national security” carveouts could slow releases or produce heavy redactions, Axios reported. The BBC said the law covers federal criminal materials connected to Epstein; CBC added that grand jury materials, co-operating-witness information, internal legal deliberations, undercover work and some surveillance content would remain off-limits under existing rules and privileges.
You said:
The question:
Why does Blue Origin’s rocket runs on methane?
SAN answer:
Blue Origin’s BE-4 engines burn liquefied natural gas (mostly methane) with liquid oxygen, a design the company says improves reusability and operations for New Glenn and ULA’s Vulcan. This fuel choice is central to Blue Origin’s next-gen launch system, according to the company’s BE-4 materials and industry reporting.
Fuel chemistry drives how often a booster can fly, how complex the ground systems are and what it costs to launch. Methane aims to balance performance and practicality for large reusable rockets, several outlets report. Blue Origin frames LNG as efficient, widely available and better suited to reusable operations than kerosene, while avoiding the extreme storage challenges of liquid hydrogen at the first stage.
According to Blue Origin, LNG offers a mix of high efficiency and low cost. The fuel also allows for “autogenous” tank pressurization, which removes the need for complex helium systems. Crucially for a reusable rocket, the company notes that LNG burns cleanly even when the engine is throttled down, avoiding the residue issues common with kerosene.
Following New Glenn’s recent flights, Ars Technica observed that the recovered first stage looked “much cleaner than a used Falcon 9.” The outlet noted this is largely because methane propellant does not generate the heavy soot associated with kerosene fuel. Ars also reported Blue Origin is ramping manufacturing of stages and engines to boost cadence.
AmericaSpace notes New Glenn uses methane/oxygen on the first stage and hydrogen/oxygen on the upper stage—leveraging methane’s density and clean burn for liftoff and hydrogen’s high efficiency in vacuum. It adds that methane avoids the soot buildup seen on kerosene vehicles, reducing between-flight cleaning and wear.
A 2023 Fortune and Bloomberg report found Blue Origin’s Texas test site can vent methane during engine operations, with one June plume detected from space; the company said operations were normal and within reporting practices, and Texas did not require methane disclosures. Analysts quoted in that piece stressed spaceflight is a small share of global methane but said emissions scrutiny will grow with launch demand.
Ars Technica reports Blue Origin aims for a higher 2026 cadence as it scales second-stage production, while preparing lunar lander flights on New Glenn. If methane’s cleaner burn continues to ease refurbishment, it could support more frequent reuses—one of the clearest reasons to pick LNG for a large booster.
Keep dropping comments, asking questions and SAN will tackle the biggest ones next week on Straight From You.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
