Zuma – Spaceflight Now

Investigation into Zuma failure reportedly lays blame on Northrop Grumman

April 9, 2018 Stephen Clark

Government investigators have exonerated SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket in the loss of a top secret space mission known as Zuma in January, blaming a malfunction in a component modified by Northrop Grumman that connected the launcher with its classified payload, according to the Wall Street Journal.

After Zuma, SpaceX keeps pace in preps for next Falcon 9 launch

January 11, 2018 Stephen Clark

Ground crews took steps this week to prepare for the next Falcon 9 launch, set for no earlier than Jan. 30 with a telecom satellite for SES and the Luxembourg government, as SpaceX officials stressed their rocket was not to blame for the rumored loss of a mysterious U.S. government payload after liftoff Sunday.

Fate of mystery Zuma satellite in question

January 9, 2018 William Harwood

A classified satellite code-named Zuma, launched Sunday night atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, may have suffered a mission-ending failure during or shortly after the climb to space, according to news accounts Monday evening.

SpaceX kicks off ambitious 2018 schedule with launch for U.S. government

January 8, 2018 Stephen Clark

Running nearly two months late after technical concerns prevented liftoff last year, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket fired into the sky Sunday night from Cape Canaveral with a top secret payload for the U.S. government, the first of some 30 launches on the company’s docket in 2018.

Video: Falcon 9’s first stage paints a dazzling spectacle in the sky

January 8, 2018 Stephen Clark

Watch a video clip of the Falcon 9 rocket’s first stage separating and firing its engines to return to Cape Canaveral shortly after liftoff Jan. 7.

Video: Replay of SpaceX’s first launch and landing of 2018

January 8, 2018 Stephen Clark

Watch a replay of the launch and landing of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 7 at Cape Canaveral.

Video: Falcon 9 launch with natural sound (members only)

January 8, 2018 Stephen Clark

Watch a view of the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket on Jan. 7 from Cape Canaveral with the U.S. government’s top secret Zuma payload.

Live coverage: Falcon 9 rocket launches and lands at Cape Canaveral

January 2, 2018 Stephen Clark

SpaceX’s first launch of 2018 blasted off at 8 p.m. EST Sunday (0100 GMT Monday). A Falcon 9 rocket took off from Cape Canaveral with a mysterious U.S. government payload known as Zuma, and the first stage returned to landing on Florida’s Space Coast around eight minutes later.

Space station cargo flight next on SpaceX’s launch schedule

November 27, 2017 Stephen Clark

In a reshuffling of SpaceX’s launch schedule, a Falcon 9 rocket is set for liftoff no earlier than Dec. 8 on a mission to deliver several tons of supplies and experiments to the International Space Station and return to service a Cape Canaveral launch pad damaged in a catastrophic rocket explosion last year.

SpaceX delays launch to study data from recent payload fairing test

November 16, 2017 Stephen Clark

SpaceX has postponed its next launch from the Kennedy Space Center indefinitely to examine data from a recent payload fairing test for another customer.