This is such a cliche, not to mention inevitable pattern, for any ambitious research or development project if any date is mentioned.
But we all want to talk about dates anyway, so we get “delays” that are not delays at all because the dates are never, could never, be real.
A better way is to look at ambitious date projections as targets. If we don’t talk about dates, we feel less pressure and go even slower. But if we talk about dates, we get some urgency even when we miss them.
“Target date” is a good phrase that communicates we know we can’t beat that date, but if absolutely everything went to plan, we might hit it, so we are going to try for it. Knowing that as long as we keep having to learn anything whatsoever, we are going to have a moving target.
Just two. Wow. That’s an unprecedented track record in the space industry.
Every industry has different critical indicators. “Late” doesn’t mean much here.
Even routine individual launches are often scheduled as “NET” or “No Earlier Than”.
For major new rocket designs, it’s a lot like me and social events. “If I’m not late, I’m not coming!”