Do we have any intelligence assets in the Bahamas that can get us some VisInt?
Edit: The tug Manisee appears to have met up with Go Searcher and is arriving near Marsh Harbor now at 7.5 knots. Does 7.5 knots seem too fast for a successful recovery?
Whatever the case, trusted anonymous sources have confirmed to AmericaSpace that the U.S. Air Force carried out an air strike to blow up the floating booster.
Confirmed. It was destroyed. There was no safe way to tow it back without risk to land, sea, and people.
Quote from: ChrisGebhardt on 02/08/2018 02:25 pmConfirmed. It was destroyed. There was no safe way to tow it back without risk to land, sea, and people.Did you confirm the "it was destroyed" part or the "USAF air strike" part? The latter is the sensational part of this story.
Emre Kelly @EmreKellyStatement from SpaceX on reports surrounding #GovSat1 booster: “Reports that the Air Force was involved in SpaceX’s recovery efforts are categorically false.”
Full SpaceX statement on #GovSat1: “While the Falcon 9 first stage for the GovSat-1 mission was expendable, it initially survived splashdown in the Atlantic Ocean. However, the stage broke apart before we could complete an unplanned recovery effort for this mission.”