Secret Zuma Satellite Rumored to Be Lost
SpaceX had a spectacular launch this weekend, on Jan. 7, which was capped by a near flawless landing of the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. Its secret U.S. government-sponsored payload, though, did not fare as well, according to sources.
By all indications, SpaceX pulled off the Sunday launch of the secret Zuma spacecraft with no hitches, sending the second stage well on its way to the Low Earth Orbit as the first reusable stage nailed a pretty good landing eight minutes later in Cape Canaveral.
While the landing was almost perfect, the company did not go on to confirm that the mission was a success, at least officially, according to Ars Technica. That and the rumors that started to swirl on Monday suggest that the secret payload, now commonly referred to as the Zuma satellite, might not have made it to orbit after all.
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According to a source, the satellite did not reach the designated altitude and instead, fell back down, along with the expended second stage of the SpaceX rocket.
As for SpaceX, they would not be able to confirm or deny the rumors even if they wanted to. "We do not comment on missions of this nature, but as of right now reviews of the data indicate Falcon 9 performed nominally," a representative for the company said.
Other reports have come in suggesting that while the Zuma satellite made it to LEO, it may have failed to come online. According to reporter Peter B. de Selding, his sources say that the satellite might be dead and limply floating around the planet.
As for Northrop Grumman, the maker of the satellite, they can't make an official statement about the situation, either.
"This is a classified mission. We cannot comment on classified missions," Tim Paynter, Vice President for the company, said earlier.
