Author Topic: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES  (Read 229355 times)

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #240 on: 01/08/2018 09:42 pm »
Ouch

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Adding to the intrigue surrounding Zuma: Reports that Musk has told his team that this is the company's most important/expensive payload ever launched.

https://twitter.com/sciguyspace/status/950490705507569666

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #241 on: 01/08/2018 10:28 pm »
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(1/5) About the rumours that #Zuma or its Falcon 9 failed: I have a positive, photographically documented observation of the Falcon 9 upper stage venting fuel after re-entry burn, ahead of re-entry, over East Africa some 2h15m after launch. Pretty much where it ought to be.
https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/950507412045352961

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(2/5) This shows that the Falcon 9 certainly did reach what appears to be the intended 50 deg inclined LEO orbit & did its nominal re-entry burn. NB: it is *normal* for rb to vent fuel after re-entry burn (avoids risk of explosions on orbit creating space debris). #Zuma #SpaceX
https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/950507414150877184

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(3/5) so if anything went wrong at all (which so far are rumours only, and they need not be true at all), it is either with #Zuma being succesfully deployed but dead on orbit, or not detaching from the Falcon 9 upper stage.
https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/950507417095344130

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(4/5) So at the moment, I am "suspicious" of these rumours. I would tend to dismiss them, unless a clear statement is issued by @spaceX or the US Government. #Zuma
https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/950507418701660160

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(5/5) #Zuma will not be visible to observers in the Northern Hemisphere untill a week or two from now, so that is the earliets that we might confirm whether something is on-orbit or not. But for the moment, I believe it is up there.
https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/950507420199071746

Edit to add:

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This is the image taken by Dutch pilot Peter Horstink, from his aircraft over Khartoum near 3:15 UT, 2h 15m after launch. This is probably the Falcon 9 venting fuel. #Zuma
https://twitter.com/Marco_Langbroek/status/950509102970621957
« Last Edit: 01/08/2018 10:31 pm by FutureSpaceTourist »

Offline stcks

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #242 on: 01/08/2018 10:48 pm »
Adding these pictures from Jason Grant @ facebook spacexgroup which show the same thing. https://www.facebook.com/groups/spacexgroup/permalink/10156186809016318/

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People in Sudan are posting pictures of whatever this is that came over at about 515 am during morning prayers. Whatever it is it's firing an engine or thruster and spinng which isn't that unusual.



« Last Edit: 01/08/2018 10:49 pm by stcks »

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #243 on: 01/08/2018 11:08 pm »
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We've updated our Zuma story with this comment from @northropgrumman: "This is a classified mission. We cannot comment on classified missions.”

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/01/the-zuma-satellite-launched-by-spacex-may-be-lost-sources-tell-ars/

https://twitter.com/SciGuySpace/status/950503037948321794

So no official news (good or bad) is likely to be forthcoming. Maybe satellite trackers will find something in the coming days, but even if they don't isn't conclusive.

Offline Flying Beaver

ZUMA Hi-Rez pictures.

www.flickr.com/spacex
Watched B1019 land in person 21/12/2015.

Offline Michael Baylor

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #245 on: 01/09/2018 12:43 am »
Incredible footage of stage sep and the boostback burn.

« Last Edit: 01/09/2018 12:44 am by Michael Baylor »

Offline Markstark

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #246 on: 01/09/2018 01:30 am »
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/01/08/highly-classified-us-spy-satellite-appears-to-be-a-total-loss-after-spacex-launch.html

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-spy-satellite-believed-lost-after-spacex-mission-fails-1515462479

From the 1st article:
The payload was suspected to have burned up in the atmosphere after failing to separate perfectly from the upper part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the report said.
« Last Edit: 01/09/2018 01:41 am by Markstark »

Offline Robotbeat

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #247 on: 01/09/2018 03:29 am »
Congrats on a successful mission, SpaceX!

Have fun laughing at all the haters. :)
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Offline Kabloona

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #248 on: 01/09/2018 05:40 am »
Good summary of what's known at the moment, with special discussion of the payload adapter furnished by Northrop Grumman, not SpaceX as usually is the case:

https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/9/16866806/spacex-zuma-mission-failure-northrop-grumman-classified-falcon-9-rocket


Offline Galactic Penguin SST

Note that NORAD has now reserved only 1 object from this launch - 43098/2018-001A which was labelled as "USA-280". 43099-43101 have been given to objects from the Chinese launch a few hours ago.

Now, for the similar launches of NROL-76 & OTV-5 (2nd stage de-orbited), the catalog shows 2 objects from each launch, one labelled as the payload and the other as Falcon 9 Rocket Body.....  :P
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Offline gwiz

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #250 on: 01/09/2018 09:41 am »
However, no second stages catalogued from the Iridium launches.

« Last Edit: 01/09/2018 01:08 pm by AbuSimbel »
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Offline Robotbeat

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #252 on: 01/09/2018 01:07 pm »
The following statement is from Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of SpaceX:
 
“For clarity: after review of all data to date, Falcon 9 did everything correctly on Sunday night. If we or others find otherwise based on further review, we will report it immediately. Information published that is contrary to this statement is categorically false. Due to the classified nature of the payload, no further comment is possible. 

“Since the data reviewed so far indicates that no design, operational or other changes are needed, we do not anticipate any impact on the upcoming launch schedule. Falcon Heavy has been rolled out to launchpad LC-39A for a static fire later this week, to be followed shortly thereafter by its maiden flight. We are also preparing for an F9 launch for SES and the Luxembourg Government from SLC-40 in three weeks.”
« Last Edit: 01/09/2018 01:08 pm by Robotbeat »
Chris  Whoever loves correction loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.

To the maximum extent practicable, the Federal Government shall plan missions to accommodate the space transportation services capabilities of United States commercial providers. US law http://goo.gl/YZYNt0

Online FutureSpaceTourist

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #253 on: 01/09/2018 02:03 pm »
Further to his previous tweet, Dr. Marco Langbroek (@Marco_Langbroek) has written up his analysis (including trajectories and maps) of what's known about the 2nd stage:

https://sattrackcam.blogspot.co.uk/2018/01/fuel-dump-of-zumas-falcon-9-upper-stage.html

Offline docmordrid

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #254 on: 01/09/2018 11:45 pm »
As of 1844 Eastern ABC News is reporting a "US official" saying ZUMA fell into the sea after not maintaining orbit.

ISTM this does not exclude the failed separation scenario, it reinforces it by confirming it ended up in the Indian Ocean.

Link....

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A highly classified satellite launched by SpaceX this weekend ended up plummeting into the Indian Ocean, a U.S. official confirmed to ABC News.
« Last Edit: 01/09/2018 11:51 pm by docmordrid »
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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #255 on: 01/11/2018 11:15 am »
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Lawmakers Look Into SpaceX Launch That Ended With Lost Satellite
By Erik Wasson, Anthony Capaccio, and Rick Clough
10 January 2018, 23:02 GMT

Lawmakers said they will receive classified briefings on a secret U.S. government satellite that apparently crashed into the sea after it was launched by Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

“The first statement by SpaceX was that the failure to achieve orbit was not theirs” so there’s no reason so far to question the company’s planned participation in NASA space projects, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, a former astronaut and the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transport Committee, said Wednesday before being briefed. [...]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-01-10/lawmakers-look-into-spacex-launch-that-ended-with-lost-satellite

Offline jpo234

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #256 on: 01/13/2018 08:23 am »
Still no confirmation of success? Probably, this misson is so clandestine, that we are not supposed to know, whether it does separate, or doesn"t, or enters the 5th dimension to surprise the aliens there?

Best quote Chris G on this:

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Achievement unlocked.  #SpaceX #Falcon9 #Zuma
https://twitter.com/chrisg_nsf/status/950186092992622593

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So, successful payload separation confirmed? :D
https://twitter.com/trevormahlmann/status/950186325847760896

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Assuming so. Since they don’t put out the patches to the media until success is confirmed.
https://twitter.com/chrisg_nsf/status/950208781769723904
Patches have been recalled from resellers:

http://www.collectspace.com/news/news-011218a-spacex-zuma-mission-patch-recall.html
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Offline marshal

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #257 on: 01/15/2018 03:55 am »
The Secret Zuma Spacecraft Could Be Alive And Well Doing Exactly What It Was Intended To

http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone/17612/the-secret-zuma-spacecraft-could-be-alive-and-well-doing-exactly-what-it-was-intended-to

Offline docmordrid

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Re: SpaceX F9 : Zuma : January 7/8, 2018, SLC-40 : UPDATES
« Reply #258 on: 01/15/2018 07:01 pm »
You just knew Loren Thompson would weigh in at Forbes, this time trying to use ZUMA to claim an increased risk to astronauts in Commercial Crew,

Forbes....
« Last Edit: 01/15/2018 07:03 pm by docmordrid »
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Offline Galactic Penguin SST

This article by Jeff Foust has provided a comprehensive review of what and by whom was reported by involved entities and media on ZUMA following launch to the present: http://www.thespacereview.com/article/3410/1
Astronomy & spaceflight geek penguin. In a relationship w/ Space Shuttle Discovery. Current Priority: Chasing the Chinese Spaceflight Wonder Egg & A Certain Chinese Mars Rover

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