In the proof of the Nilpotence Theorem, or at least in Ravenel's account of it in his Orange Book, a sequence of spectra are used, denoted $X(n)$ with $X(0)=\mathbb{S}$ and and $X(\infty)=MU$ such that $\langle X(n)\rangle\geq\langle X(n+1)\rangle$. These are the Thom spectra associated to the map $\Omega SU(n)\to BU$. They are homotopy equivalent to $MU$ up through degree 2n-1. They all have associated Hurewicz maps $h(n):\pi_\ast(R)\to X(n)_\ast(R)$ for $R$ a finite ring spectra. We are interested, for the Nilpotence Theorem, in determining when $h(n)(\alpha)=0$, ultimately for $n=0$. To this end, Ravenel proves that if $h(n+1)(\alpha)=0$ then $h(n)(\alpha)$ is nilpotent.
So, from this theorem we know then that any of the $X(n)$ spectra detect nilpotence just as well as $MU$. The nice thing of course about $MU$ (or one of the many nice things) is that it has at least one other interpretation (i.e. aside from its geometric interpretation as a Thom spectrum). This is of course that $MU_\ast$ determines formal group laws over rings, and you have all of this amazing stuff happen. Do you have any similar such interpretations for these $X(n)$ spectra, or are they ONLY geometric in nature? Or I guess, to rephrase, does anyone KNOW of any other ways of thinking about these things?