A day time shot:Quotegooooood morning from historic Launch Complex 39A. Just finished setting my remote cameras for tonight's 8PM launch of the mystery #Zuma payload. #SpaceXhttps://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann/status/931201861071368194
gooooood morning from historic Launch Complex 39A. Just finished setting my remote cameras for tonight's 8PM launch of the mystery #Zuma payload. #SpaceX
Quote from: Rogerstigers on 11/16/2017 03:58 pmQuote from: Star One on 11/16/2017 03:52 pmQuote from: shooter6947 on 11/16/2017 03:34 pmQuote from: Star One on 11/16/2017 03:32 pmJim just said it’s not a military launch, I can’t think who else government wise other than NASA would be launching satellites.NSA. CIA. NRO.They are military entities.Eh, USINT is not generally considered to be a part of USMIL. USMIL has its own intelligence community. They, of course, all work together, in theory. Given the CIA's history of using shell companies for everything, I would consider them just general government rather than military.I think most of us in the U.S. draw a distinction between the Armed Forces (Military) under DoD and the other agencies under DoD.
Quote from: Star One on 11/16/2017 03:52 pmQuote from: shooter6947 on 11/16/2017 03:34 pmQuote from: Star One on 11/16/2017 03:32 pmJim just said it’s not a military launch, I can’t think who else government wise other than NASA would be launching satellites.NSA. CIA. NRO.They are military entities.Eh, USINT is not generally considered to be a part of USMIL. USMIL has its own intelligence community. They, of course, all work together, in theory. Given the CIA's history of using shell companies for everything, I would consider them just general government rather than military.
Quote from: shooter6947 on 11/16/2017 03:34 pmQuote from: Star One on 11/16/2017 03:32 pmJim just said it’s not a military launch, I can’t think who else government wise other than NASA would be launching satellites.NSA. CIA. NRO.They are military entities.
Quote from: Star One on 11/16/2017 03:32 pmJim just said it’s not a military launch, I can’t think who else government wise other than NASA would be launching satellites.NSA. CIA. NRO.
Jim just said it’s not a military launch, I can’t think who else government wise other than NASA would be launching satellites.
Quote from: FutureSpaceTourist on 11/16/2017 03:51 pmA day time shot:Quotegooooood morning from historic Launch Complex 39A. Just finished setting my remote cameras for tonight's 8PM launch of the mystery #Zuma payload. #SpaceXhttps://twitter.com/TrevorMahlmann/status/931201861071368194Interesting - they leave two red working machines (cranes, forklifts or what ever) inside the partially demolished rotating structure during launch.
ARTICLE: SpaceX Falcon 9 readies for launch of clandestine Zuma satellite - https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2017/11/spacex-falcon-9-launch-clandestine-zuma-satellite/ By Chris Gebhardt - who also took the photos (multi-talented!)
Due to the U.S. government’s need to launch Zuma before 30 November, SpaceX’s manifest was rearranged to meet the customer’s short-notice launch need – representing a rapid launch response capability for SpaceX that has been greatly aided by the company’s immensely successful reuse of the Falcon 9 first stage booster.This reuse ability has allowed SpaceX to optimize its launch manifest and has allowed its customers greater flexibility and launch date assurance than would otherwise have been available if the company only relied on brand new Falcon 9s for every flight.
Sound like features for which the USG might be willing to pay a significant amount -- $1B/yr maybe?
Quote from: AncientU on 11/16/2017 06:02 pmSound like features for which the USG might be willing to pay a significant amount -- $1B/yr maybe?nope, can't launch most USG spacecraft
Quote from: Jim on 11/16/2017 06:07 pmQuote from: AncientU on 11/16/2017 06:02 pmSound like features for which the USG might be willing to pay a significant amount -- $1B/yr maybe?nope, can't launch most USG spacecraft...yet
I was thinking this morning that there was a possibility for a postponement today - because Musk is unveiling his electric truck at Tesla tonight, and why risk bad PR in case something happens on the Zuma launch... Probably not connected, but couldn't resist throwing it out there.
SpaceX can't add a FH into the schedule like a F9.
Quote from: Coastal Ron on 11/16/2017 07:25 pmI was thinking this morning that there was a possibility for a postponement today - because Musk is unveiling his electric truck at Tesla tonight, and why risk bad PR in case something happens on the Zuma launch... Probably not connected, but couldn't resist throwing it out there.Dubious. Elon doesn't think that way, IMHO. I think SpaceX is taking this launch VERY seriously. It showcases their capabilities to rapidly respond to need. Delaying for PR reasons defeats that message badly.
Quote from: Lar on 11/16/2017 07:36 pmQuote from: Coastal Ron on 11/16/2017 07:25 pmI was thinking this morning that there was a possibility for a postponement today - because Musk is unveiling his electric truck at Tesla tonight, and why risk bad PR in case something happens on the Zuma launch... Probably not connected, but couldn't resist throwing it out there.Dubious. Elon doesn't think that way, IMHO. I think SpaceX is taking this launch VERY seriously. It showcases their capabilities to rapidly respond to need. Delaying for PR reasons defeats that message badly.You don’t think he takes Tesla equally seriously?
Quote from: Coastal Ron on 11/16/2017 07:25 pmI was thinking this morning that there was a possibility for a postponement today - because Musk is unveiling his electric truck at Tesla tonight, and why risk bad PR in case something happens on the Zuma launch... Probably not connected, but couldn't resist throwing it out there.IMHO the last thing the world needs at the moment in history is more conspiracy thinking.