Did Elon Musk Lose Secret U.s Government Satellite?

By Staff Reporter
Posted on 01/09/18 | News Source: Newsweek

Spacex Zuma May Have Failed To Reach Orbit

Elon Musk’s SpaceX finally launched its mysterious Zuma satellite on Sunday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. To viewers of the livestream, the launch seemed like a success. The Falcon 9 rocket carrying Zuma blasted off and appeared to shed “stage one,” as planned.

However, cameras did not follow stage two of the rocket, and reports suggest it may not have reached its final orbit.

Industry and government officials believe the craft failed to reach its goal, the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. Zuma may not have separated from the upper part of the Falcon 9 rocket. and instead plunged back into the Earth’s atmosphere.

Originally planned to launch back in November, Zuma had a secret payload for the U.S. government. Aerospace and defence company Northrup Grumman—who worked on the mission with SpaceX on behalf of the government—told Space.comits function was “restricted” and was being fired into "low-Earth orbit."

Beset by months of delays, the confidential craft was...read more at Newsweek