SpaceX Is Launching Something Super Secret Called "Zuma"
SpaceX will launch a secret government payload to orbit Wednesday, Mashable
“Very little is known about the Zuma mission, as no government or commercial entity has claimed it. Usually, even the National Reconnaissance Office – the branch of the government responsible for maintaining spy satellites – will say when a payload is theirs while keeping the mission details classified. But for some reason, whatever agency is behind Zuma isn’t coming forward. All we know is that the aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman was asked by the government to procure a launch vehicle for the mission and it chose SpaceX, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman said via email. The spokesman also added that Zuma will be headed to low-Earth orbit, which is the region of space about 1,200 miles above the planet.”
Whoever wrote this article didn’t get the definition of LEO right, either…
I was coming here to say the same thing Aero313 said.
Of course, you learn something new every day.
Pretty safe to say a good majority of operating LEO satellites are in the lower part of the 2000 km altitude range, as most activities in LEO can be performed without requiring higher altitudes.
STSS 3. Watch North Korea for Launches, alert Aegis system(s) earlier.
Z.U.M.A – Zero and Unidentifiable Mission Aims
Cutesy acronym used by clandestine ops?
Edit: What else can fly on the Eagle 3 Platform?
Spaceflight101’s page suggests it is a CIA/NSA signal intelligence mission as opposed to NRO, which focuses on imaging.
The writer didn’t say “up to 1200km”.
It was poorly worded.
It will launch at the same time as the secret sat. that SpaceX launched before, passes over. That sat. may want to watch the launch. It also passed within 4 mi. of ISS. It also may want to have to sats close together as this is what is done to get to ISS.
It would also allow them to fly the satellites on the same ground track, perhaps to get readings several minutes apart for comparison. Or a few seconds apart if they fly close together.
Or how about if they plan to dock? Until now classified satellites are single launch, how about a multi-launch system which builds a larger satellite?
Whatever proximity to each other they wind up having will be visible to amateur observers, so I guess just stay tuned.
I Just got read new information from nasaspaceflight.com SpaceX forum look like SpaceX Zuma launch postponed indefinitely because something wrong with the fairings and lower falcon 9 rocket horizonally. They have to demated Zuma Payload sent it back to the Payload Processing center were it was assembled,don’t know from where? Reason Zuma is Top Secret payload keep it from prying eyes from seeing it when they open fairings. They have to swap bad fairing for 100% certified good fairing, that will take 5 to 10 day complete big delay. Hope hurry up real quick,because SpaceX has to launch by November 30 deadline on the contact or they will in pay big Penalty being late to launch.