SpaceX's [...] Falcon 9 Launch: Mysterious ZUMA [failed] mission

[Noelle]

The SpaceX Falcon 9 will be carrying a secret U.S. government payload into space. The mission is called ZUMA. Anyone come across speculation on what it is? The rocket was supposed to launch today from Florida's Space Coast, but it has been pushed to Thursday.

SpaceX Delays Launch of Secret Zuma Mission to Thursday (https://www.space.com/38794-spacex-delays-launch-of-secret-zuma-mission-to-thursday.html)

[ramus]

IF THE NAME IS CLOSE TO THE AZTEC MEANING, THEN ..........

"Zuma" is a name of Aztec (Nahuatl) origin, and it means "Lord Frowns in Anger". It's a name commonly given to girls.

https://www.names.org/n/zuma/about

[Noelle]

If anyone is interested in watching the SpaceX launch tomorrow night, here is a link. The two-hour launch window opens at 8 pm EST.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OPHbqY9LHCs

[Star Tsar]

Lady M here is another Space.com story


Space.com & Spaceflight101.com

Here's What We Know About the Secret Zuma Payload SpaceX Is Launching

Published 15th November 2017

https://img.purch.com/h/1400/aHR0cDovL3d3dy5zcGFjZS5jb20vaW1hZ2VzL2kvMDAwLzA3MS85MDMvb3JpZ2luYWwvc3BhY2V4LWZhbGNvbi05LWxhdW5jaC5q cGc=

SpaceX plans to launch a secret payload known as Zuma on Thursday evening (Nov. 16), from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) on Florida's Space Coast.

And when I say secret, I mean secret; everybody involved with the mission is pretty tight-lipped about it. Here's a brief rundown of what we know. (Spoiler alert: It isn't much.)

Read all about it here: https://www.space.com/38801-spacex-secret-zuma-mission-what-we-know.html

This link has much more info on "Mission 1390"

http://spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-zuma/zuma/

http://spaceflight101.com/falcon-9-zuma/wp-content/uploads/sites/193/2017/11/Zumapatch.jpg

[Noelle]

I'm not seeing any explanations for the postponement. We live near the KSC, and tonight we keep hearing and feeling rumbling, like they're testing something.

[JohanB]

Hi LadyM, i could'nt help but smile when is saw this topic...

https://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/americans-to-send-zuma-to-space-20171115

There is a few South Africans that will be very glad if our President Zuma was on that rocket :happy dog:

[Did You See Them]

I find this description of the "Zuma game" quiet interesting ..

"The purpose of this game is to find the secrets of Zuma and protect the ancient civilizations. There are several colored balls in a chain who are coming towards the stone frog. Make groups of three or more balls of the same color and destroy them."

Have we any ideas whatsoever as to the mission ??

[bluestflame]

wonder if they've released a patch or a logo to commemorate the occasion , that would be telling

[Star Tsar]

wonder if they've released a patch or a logo to commemorate the occasion , that would be telling

See post four.

[Noelle]

The mission patch shows a star cluster with six bright stars. I tried to match them up with the Pleiades, but not seeing a definitive connection. Note that there are six full stars visible in the flag.

[Star Tsar]

Lady M you missed the star on the ground but that one is blue. It's on the dogleg-ish bit of the land on the left.
Plus there is a four leaf clover on the very bottom something I have never ever seen in space logos etc.

[Noelle]

The blue star, I am pretty certain, indicates the Kennedy Space Center or maybe one of the bases here on Florida's Space Coast (Canaveral AF Station or Patrick AF Base). Yes, that clover, which I did not notice before, is curious.

[Noelle]

There was another launch scrub last night due to "safety concerns raised by another, anonymous, customer," RT.com (https://www.rt.com/usa/410151-spacex-secret-launch-zuma/) reported. Are the "safety concerns" related to the public or the payload? SpaceX may try to launch tonight or maybe it won't. The company said in a written statement, "SpaceX has decided to stand down for the Zuma launch and take a closer look at data from recent fairing testing for another customer. Though we have preserved the range opportunity for Friday, November 17, we will take the time we need to complete the data review and will then confirm a new launch date."

Interestingly, South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma, is making the news today: JACOB ZUMA HAS MADE SOUTH AFRICA VULNERABLE (http://ewn.co.za/2017/11/17/jacob-zuma-has-made-south-africa-vulnerable). Elon Musk is from South Africa.

Did you all know that the tail of our solar system is shaped like a four leaf clover? Solar system has a tail shaped like a four-leaf clover (https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23849-solar-system-has-a-tail-shaped-like-a-four-leaf-clover/)

[Sunny-side-up]

Hope it not along these lines o.0

Darius Tanz (Elon Musk)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6170874/
NetFlix series 'Salvation'

[Star Tsar]

There was another launch scrub last night due to "safety concerns raised by another, anonymous, customer," RT.com (https://www.rt.com/usa/410151-spacex-secret-launch-zuma/) reported. Are the "safety concerns" related to the public or the payload? SpaceX may try to launch tonight or maybe it won't. The company said in a written statement, "SpaceX has decided to stand down for the Zuma launch and take a closer look at data from recent fairing testing for another customer. Though we have preserved the range opportunity for Friday, November 17, we will take the time we need to complete the data review and will then confirm a new launch date."

Interestingly, South Africa's President, Jacob Zuma, is making the news today: JACOB ZUMA HAS MADE SOUTH AFRICA VULNERABLE (http://ewn.co.za/2017/11/17/jacob-zuma-has-made-south-africa-vulnerable). Elon Musk is from South Africa.

Did you all know that the tail of our solar system is shaped like a four leaf clover? Solar system has a tail shaped like a four-leaf clover (https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23849-solar-system-has-a-tail-shaped-like-a-four-leaf-clover/)

Just how I like my news space aged & strange nice dot connecting LadyM


Hope it not along these lines o.0

Darius Tanz (Elon Musk)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6170874/ ("http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6170874/")
NetFlix series 'Salvation'

Oh this is new to me thankyou...

[Star Tsar]

Hey Elon haven't you ever heard? NEVER keep a LadyM waiting.... :nono:


FloridaToday.com

Spacex Launch Of Secret Zuma Mission On Hold Until After Thanksgiving

Published 20th November 2017

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/6518e1529bb785ba02d69e091f5f15a2581e43a8/c=0-722-2432-2550&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2017/11/20/Brevard/Brevard/636467853182808372-zuma-crb111617-spacex-.jpg

The Air Force's 45th Space Wing has no launch scheduled on the Eastern Range until Dec. 4, when SpaceX tentatively plans to launch a Dragon capsule carrying International Space Station supplies for NASA.

Read all about it here: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/11/20/spacex-launch-secret-zuma-mission-hold-until-after-thanksgiving/880972001/

[Noelle]

Hey Elon haven't you ever heard? NEVER keep a LadyM waiting.... :nono:


FloridaToday.com

Spacex Launch Of Secret Zuma Mission On Hold Until After Thanksgiving

Published 20th November 2017

https://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/6518e1529bb785ba02d69e091f5f15a2581e43a8/c=0-722-2432-2550&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/2017/11/20/Brevard/Brevard/636467853182808372-zuma-crb111617-spacex-.jpg

The Air Force's 45th Space Wing has no launch scheduled on the Eastern Range until Dec. 4, when SpaceX tentatively plans to launch a Dragon capsule carrying International Space Station supplies for NASA.

Read all about it here: https://www.floridatoday.com/story/tech/science/space/2017/11/20/spacex-launch-secret-zuma-mission-hold-until-after-thanksgiving/880972001/

Wow, December! All that work and big tadoo on this "mystery payload" launch, and it's delayed for a month. But, if it's a deep state payload, the postponement might be a good thing.

[Star Tsar]

I have read a rumour that it won't be untill January 18th...

[Noelle]

The launch is scheduled for this Friday from Kennedy Space Center. Still a mystery!

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch Zuma, a top-secret U.S. government satellite, between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. EDT Friday (Jan. 5; 0100 to 0300 GMT Jan. 6) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in Florida, according to Air Force officials.

Source: https://www.space.com/39257-spacex-secret-zuma-mission-launching-soon.html

Here is a short video on the mysterious mission.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTnbqk9kdFo&app=desktop

[Star Tsar]

A Sunday launch?


Space.com

SpaceX To Launch Mysterious Zuma Spacecraft Tonight: Watch It Live

Published 7th January 2018

https://c-7npsfqifvt34x24jnhx2eqvsdix2edpn.g00.space.com/g00/3_c-7x78x78x78.tqbdf.dpn_/c-7NPSFQIFVT34x24iuuqtx3ax2fx2fjnh.qvsdi.dpnx2fix2f2511x2fbIS1dEpwM4e4ez6adHGkAT6kc31wbX2iA3WaM3lwNEBx 78MaB4Nz9zNUBwc4KqA3mvZXx78wd4CiZ3W5MYq2cXFuAnGtZ30vMUludn0kb3W1Mnqx78Ax78x3dx3dx3fj21d.nbsl.jnbhf.u zqf_$/$/$/$

SpaceX plans to launch the secret Zuma payload for the U.S. government this evening (Jan. 7), after a nearly two-month delay.

Zuma is scheduled to lift off atop a two-stage Falcon 9 rocket from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station tonight between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. EST (0100 to 0300 GMT on Jan. 8). You can watch it live here at Space.com (https://www.space.com/17933-nasa-television-webcasts-live-space-tv.html), courtesy of the company. You can also watch the liftoff directly from SpaceX's live webcast page here (http://www.spacex.com/webcast).

Read all about it here: https://www.space.com/39310-spacex-mysterious-zuma-mission-launch-webcast.html

[Bill Ryan]

There's more about this, in quite some detail, from Infowars insider source Zaq, here. (Worth listening to carefully, and taking good notes)


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fn3eIKB8-qw

[Noelle]

I just watched the InfoWars interview with "Zach." It sure was 43 mins. well spent.

If anyone is interested in viewing the launch live, here is the SpaceX webcast link. Launch window opens at 8 pm EST.

http://www.spacex.com/webcast

[Star Tsar]

Did you get out to bear witness Lady of the M's?


SpaceX

ZUMA Mission

Published 7th January 2018

SpaceX is targeting launch of the Zuma spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The two-hour primary launch window opens at 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 7, or 1:00 UTC on Monday, January 8. A backup two-hour launch window opens at 8:00 p.m. EST on Monday, January 8, or 1:00 UTC on Tuesday, January 9.
Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will attempt to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

0PWu3BRxn60

[Noelle]

Did you get out to bear witness Lady of the M's?


SpaceX

ZUMA Mission

Published 7th January 2018

SpaceX is targeting launch of the Zuma spacecraft from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The two-hour primary launch window opens at 8:00 p.m. EST on Sunday, January 7, or 1:00 UTC on Monday, January 8. A backup two-hour launch window opens at 8:00 p.m. EST on Monday, January 8, or 1:00 UTC on Tuesday, January 9.
Following stage separation, Falcon 9’s first stage will attempt to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

0PWu3BRxn60

I can confirm that it launched. :clapping: I watched the webcast until I could hear and feel the rumbling, and then I watched it from my living room window. The reentry boom was loud and clear too -- my dogs and cats just love those.

[Cidersomerset]

The first stage is complete and as Zaq says Zuma is in orbit and the
return to earth of the Falcon 9 rocket....

Ukraine, Crimea, Syria, Israel, Iran, Putin, and World War III
http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?69621-Ukraine-Crimea-Syria-Israel-Iran-Putin-and-World-War-III&p=1200321#post1200321


SpaceX launches mysterious payload that lights up evening sky

m2nL8jiUxug

Published on 7 Jan 2018
SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a mysterious government satellite known
as "Zuma" Sunday, lighting up the night sky as the booster climbed toward space and
then lighting it up again a few moments later as its reusable first stage descended on
a jet of flame to a pinpoint touchdown.

[Noelle]

The media is reporting tonight that the ZUMA mission failed.

SpaceX apparently lost the classified Zuma payload from latest launch (https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/spacex-apparently-lost-the-classified-zuma-payload-from-latest-launch/)

SpaceX’s latest rocket may have launched successfully – but the mission didn’t end as a win. The Zuma payload it was carrying, a mysterious classified piece of cargo for the U.S. government believed to be a spy satellite, was lost after it failed to separate from the second stage of the rocket after the first stage of the Falcon 9 separated as planned and returned to Earth.

The WSJ reports, and we’ve confirmed separately, that the payload is thought to have fallen back through the Earth’s atmosphere after reaching space, because of the failure to separate. The failure is one that can happen when cargo doesn’t properly detach as planned, since the second stage is designed to fall back to Earth and burn up in re-entry.

[Star Tsar]

The Chinese space program often follows the same tactics, They'll launch a classified satellite & What do ya know it will have failed mysteriously! I suppose it gives a level of plausible deniability.

[Harley]

The Chinese space program often follows the same tactics, They'll launch a classified satellite & What do ya know it will have failed mysteriously! I suppose it gives a level of plausible deniability.

Yes.

Or handed it over to someone else. :)

[Noelle]

The Chinese space program often follows the same tactics, They'll launch a classified satellite & What do ya know it will have failed mysteriously! I suppose it gives a level of plausible deniability.

Yes.

Or handed it over to someone else. :)

I am with you both on that. :thumbsup:

[Cidersomerset]

" We have nothing to add to the satellite catalog at this time , we cannot
comment on classified missions. We do not comment on missions of this
nature, but as of right now reviews of the data indicate Falcon 9 performed
nominally "...


Secret US govt satellite launched on SpaceX reportedly missing

pzu4zH3tVsk

Published on 9 Jan 2018
A space mission, already shrouded in secrecy, has now grown even more
mysterious. That's amid rumors about the fate of a top-secret U.S.
government satellite. The re-usable SpaceX rocket, which launched it, has
safely returned to earth, but questions are being asked over what happened
to the payload. Ilya Petrenko has the details of the cryptic launch.

RT LIVE http://rt.com/on-air

[Noelle]

Thanks. ZeroHedge has a piece on this too.

https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2018-01-09/musk-satellite-mystery-deepens-spacex-denies-doing-anything-wrong

Following the launch of the secretive Zuma satellite into space aboard SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket from Cape Canaveral, reports circulated that the new eye in the sky, which is worth billions, "is presumed to be a total loss after it failed to reach orbit."

Of course, this, one would think, is a serious blow to Elon Musk's ambitions, since government contracts can tend to be extremely lucrative and taxpayers will now demand alternatives to the Musk venture. Further, the company faces fierce competition for ULA, operated by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, who will kick off its 2018 launch schedule with a Wednesday flight.

But the mystery around the launch and the payload continues, as in an emailed statement, company President and COO Gwynne Shotwell, said that the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket that took off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Sunday "did everything correctly."

“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.”

Which is odd since Bloomberg reports that the second-stage booster section of the Falcon 9 failed, said a U.S. official and two congressional aides familiar with the launch, who asked not to be named because the matter is private. The satellite was lost, one of the aides said, and the other said both the satellite and second-stage rocket fell into the ocean.

Additionally, Tim Paynter, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman Corp., which was commissioned by the Defense Department to choose the launch contractor, said “we cannot comment on classified missions.”

[Star Tsar]

Watch this Pentagon Pass-Over


Space.com

Pentagon Says 'Ask SpaceX' On Zuma Mission Fate

Published 12th January 2018

At press briefing at the Pentagon, Bloomberg News reporter Tony Capaccio asked Chief Pentagon spokesperson Dana W. White and Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. about the fate of the controversial Zuma mission that SpaceX launched on Jan. 8, 2018.

pzWMB5lBR5Q

Read all about it here: https://www.space.com/39374-pentagon-shuts-down-questions-about-zuma-and-raises-more-questions.html

[Star Tsar]

Call that a grilling?


Space.com

Congressman Grills Space X Over Zuma & Rocket Failures

Published 17th January 2018

Representative Brian Babin (R-TX 36th District) asks SpaceX's Dr. Hans Koenigsmann (vice president, Build and Flight Reliability) and others about the mysterious circumstances that occured during the Zuma mission launch and other SpaceX rocket failures. The questioning occured at a hearing by the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology to get an update on NASA Commercial Crew Systems Development on Jan. 17, 2017.

juZVCbnnZB8

[Cidersomerset]

SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy Launch Could Revolutionize Space Travel | Mach
NBC News
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N-NydZIZYA
Published on 6 Feb 2018
The historic Kennedy Space Center launchpad, that sent Apollo 11 astronauts to the
moon, is about to make history again as SpaceX gets ready to launch its much
anticipated Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time this week. If successful, this
launch could revolutionize the space industry, making Falcon Heavy the most
powerful rocket in the world.


http://static.bbci.co.uk/frameworks/barlesque/3.21.31/orb/4/img/bbc-blocks-dark.png
Elon Musk's huge Falcon Heavy rocket set for launch

By Jonathan Amos
BBC Science Correspondent
6 February 2018

Elon Musk will attempt to fly the world's most powerful rocket later with his own sports car on the top.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42950957

[Bob]

Space-X succeeded today. The boosters landed properly vertically after a most successful liftoff. History in the making.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/02/06/one-big-boom-whether-spacexs-maiden-falcon-heavy-launch-is-a-success-or-failure-elon-musk-says-its-going-to-be-a-show/?utm_term=.92324c26c71e

https://img.washingtonpost.com/wp-apps/imrs.php?src=https://img.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-switch/files/2018/01/38583829295_8ceaa73c42_k.jpg&w=1484

"The maiden flight also marked the first time a privately financed rocket ever attempted to boost a payload out of Earth's orbit. As a promotional stunt, SpaceX founder Elon Musk loaded the Falcon Heavy with his own cherry red Tesla Roadster carrying a spacesuit-clad mannequin in the driver's seat. He said he planned to send the convertible, built by another one of his companies, into an orbit that would take it near Mars."


http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/5a23019e3dbef4e3058b9a6e/elon-musk-plans-to-launch-his-red-tesla-roadster-to-mars-orbit-in-january-2018-spacex-confirms.jpg

Yup, there it is

https://steemit-production-imageproxy-thumbnail.s3.amazonaws.com/U5dtUc59vMH9qYT6SQHJ2g6f5GfbkfR_1680x8400

This below appears to be an image "rocketman", of the roadster and the manikin from an on-board camera

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVYXBMsWkAIBBd2.jpg

And here is the landing of the boosters, returned to the launch pad area.. quite reminiscent of the old Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon days..


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVYWKpxV4AEXjHi.jpg

The central booster will carry the fairing — the payload-carrying part of the rocket — a bit further, giving it more of a push before that booster returns to a drone ship in the Atlantic.

The upper stage of the Falcon Heavy then has to travel through the extreme radiation of the Van Allen belt for about six hours, at which time SpaceX plans to just let the payload coast. Once it passes this stage, it will hopefully re-ignite and be able to send data back to Earth. And from those cameras, we will hopefully get those "epic views" Musk mentioned.

It'll take the car about six months to cover its 200-million-mile journey into Mars orbit.

Live stream feed (updates, when present would be shown)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbSwFU6tY1c

[Cidersomerset]

http://static.bbci.co.uk/frameworks/barlesque/3.21.31/orb/4/img/bbc-blocks-dark.png

Elon Musk's Falcon Heavy rocket launches successfully

10 minutes ago


Elon Musk has just launched his new rocket, the Falcon Heavy,
from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

read more...

https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/624/cpsprodpb/2DC8/production/_99602711_falcon_comparison_640-nc.png
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-42969020

===================================================

===================================================

SpaceX launches Falcon Heavy rocket

CBS News

PqCRjLYwV7E

Published on 6 Feb 2018
SpaceX's Falcon Heavy, the world's most powerful rocket, thundered to life Tuesday
and shot away from Florida on the power of 27 engines and nearly 5 million pounds
of thrust, kicking off a spectacular maiden flight to send founder Elon Musk's cherry
red Tesla Roadster on a "just for fun" journey beyond the orbit of Mars.

[Star Tsar]

What does the Falcon heavy mission have to do with the Zuma mission?

[Bob]

What does the Falcon heavy mission have to do with the Zuma mission?

nothing - just this was an existing thread - was going to start another thread but saw this here, used Cider's earlier post as the lead-in. (http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?100585-SpaceX-s-...-Falcon-9-Launch-Mysterious-ZUMA-failed-mission&p=1206535&viewfull=1#post1206535).

certainly not a problem for the Mod's to create a new thread:
Successful Launch of Falcon Heavy Mission - Musk's Tesla to fly to Mars as a suggested title

[Star Tsar]

What does the Falcon heavy mission have to do with the Zuma mission?

nothing - just this was an existing thread - was going to start another thread but saw this here, used Cider's earlier post as the lead-in..

certainly not a problem for the Mod's to create a new thread:
Successful Launch of Falcon Heavy Mission - Musk's Tesla to fly to Mars as a suggested title

It's just I feel a better thread would have been this one

http://projectavalon.net/forum4/showthread.php?93634-Elon-Musk-Making-Humanity-A-Multiplanetary-Species

Apologies but todays events are a massive step in making Humanity a multiplanetary species.

[Cidersomerset]

Re: SpaceX's [...] Falcon 9 Launch: Mysterious ZUMA [failed] mission
Quote Posted by Star Tsar (here)
What does the Falcon heavy mission have to do with the Zuma mission?


nothing - just this was an existing thread - was going to start another thread but saw this here, used Cider's earlier post as the lead-in..



That was my thinking , I am trying not to do to many new threads as I have many
and to let others have a go. I could post several threads a day but that would
impede others progress & fun though I will still post threads as and when.....

I have a Elon Musk thread somewhere but could not find it in the search and this
one came up....

=================================================
=================================================

This is from yesterday and is pretty good and who does not like a bit of Bowie...
It shows how they hope the launch will go.

Falcon Heavy Animation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tk338VXcb24
Published on 5 Feb 2018
When Falcon Heavy lifts off, it will be the most powerful operational rocket in the
world by a factor of two. With the ability to lift into orbit nearly 64 metric tons
(141,000 lb)---a mass greater than a 737 jetliner loaded with passengers, crew,
luggage and fuel--Falcon Heavy can lift more than twice the payload of the next
closest operational vehicle, the Delta IV Heavy, at one-third the cost.

Falcon Heavy's first stage is composed of three Falcon 9 nine-engine cores whose
27 Merlin engines together generate more than 5 million pounds of thrust at liftoff,
equal to approximately eighteen 747 aircraft.

Following liftoff, the two side boosters separate from the center core and return to
landing sites for future reuse. The center core, traveling further and faster than the
side boosters, also returns for reuse, but lands on a drone ship located in the Atlantic Ocean.

At max velocity the Roadster will travel 11 km/s (7mi/s) and travel 400 million km (250 million mi) from Earth.

[Bob]

Certainly, but this thread was used. Yes such a reusable, heavy lift vehicle by a PRIVATE non-governmental organization is great for CIVILIAN space flight. But somebody is going to pay the bill, such as for launches to the Space Station, (possibly then stopping using the Russian launch vehicles)..

I think this view is pretty humorous, tongue in cheek, notice the dashboard of the Tesla


https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DVYVUaUX0AEMCMQ.jpg

[Star Tsar]

Could these two stories be related?

Lady M if you feel this post is out of place PM me & I shall remove it.


Nemesis Maturity

North Korean Super Volcano On Brink Of Eruption Scientists Warn

Published 24th February 2018

Supervolcanoes are volcanoes that spread over miles in diameter. For instance Yellowstone is one of the largest known volcanoes in the world and the largest volcanic system in North America.

Supervolcanoes like this one pass unnoticed because it is at ground level. If it were to go off, North America, or more like the entire North Hemisphere would be affected.

Now the said North Korean supervolcano, Mount Paektu, rises to 9000 ft high and its caldera is a lake of about 8 miles across. The magma chamber underneath thus has gigantic dimensions, and its vertical conduit is even more problematic.

The danger comes from two simultaneous causes. The first one comes from the fact that Korean military has a nuclear test ground in the vicinity. The second is that scientists have studied Mt Paektu’s behavior and activity, leading to the conclusion that it is theoretically ready to unleash its pressure.

Supervolcanoes have long been thought to be triggered by meteorite impacts, rippling Earth’s crust and building up its magma chamber’s pressure to the breaking point, but new worrying studies indicate that it is not the case. A behemoth volcano like the ones cited here can explode without prior stimulation in a matter of days. If nuclear detonations in the test ground territory were to shake the ground enough to tickle the supervolcano, it might be enough to trigger the upholding eruption. The cataclysmic magma and sulfur eruptions that would result would then endanger life itself on the entire planet.

Read all about it here: http://yournewswire.com/north-korea-volcano-catastrophe/ & http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/11/e1600913

Rp5zLPMp5MM

[Cara]

And the finger is being pointed at Northrop Grumman for the failure of the Zuma satellite....


Northrop Grumman, not SpaceX, reported to be at fault for loss of top-secret Zuma satellite
Michael Sheetz18 Hours Ago | 00:43

Northrop Grumman built and operated the components that failed during the controversial January launch of the U.S. spy satellite known as Zuma, according to a Wall Street Journal report Sunday.

Two independent investigations, made up of federal and industry officials, pointed to Northrop's payload adapter as the cause of the satellite's loss, the report said, citing people familiar with the probes. The payload adapter is a key part of deploying a satellite in orbit, connecting the satellite to the upper stage of a rocket.

Zuma is believed to have cost around $3.5 billion to develop, according to the report. The satellite was funded through a process that received a lesser degree of oversight from Congress compared with similar national security-related satellites, industry officials said.

Northrop Grumman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

While it is still unknown which agency Zuma was built to serve, both the Pentagon and Northrop have repeatedly declined to provide details about the mission. SpaceX, which launched the mission aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, repeatedly defended its equipment in the aftermath, rebuking claims that Elon Musk's space company was to blame.

"For clarity: after review of all data to date, Falcon 9 did everything correctly," Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO of SpaceX, said in a statement to CNBC. "Information published that is contrary to this statement is categorically false. Due to the classified nature of the payload, no further comment is possible."

The U.S. Air Force appeared to back SpaceX in the weeks following Zuma, saying it did not expect to change the company's approval to launch military satellites.

"Based on the data available, our team did not identify any information that would change SpaceX's Falcon 9 certification status," Lt. Gen. John Thompson, commander of the Space and Missile Systems Center, said in a statement.

The investigations tentatively concluded that onboard sensors did not immediately communicate to ground systems that the satellite did not separate from the rocket, according to the Journal. Unbeknownst to officials at the time, the planned return of the rocket's upper stage — a method of disposal to avoid adding space debris around the Earth — brought the satellite back down with it. By the time the satellite separated from the rocket it was too late, putting Zuma too low in orbit to save, according to the report.

The unique design of Zuma, according to officials, means it was built in such a way that made it particularly fragile. Northrop reportedly modified its payload adapter to help absorb vibrations that might damage the satellite. While those modifications remain unspecified, payload adapters traditionally use small, controlled explosives to release satellites from a rocket's upper stage.

Officials believe Zuma fell into the Indian Ocean, the report said. Zuma was the first launch for SpaceX this year, and the company has since launched six additional successful missions.


From here: https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/09/northrop-grumman-reportedly-at-fault-for-loss-of-zuma-satellite.html


Maybe they agreed to “take the fall” given the contract for drones that has just come their way:


U.S. State Dept OKs possible $2.5 billion sale of military drones to Germany
Reuters | Apr 05, 2018 04:50PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Triton unmanned aircraft systems to Germany for an estimated cost of $2.5 billion, the Pentagon said on Thursday.

Northrop Grumman Corp (NYSE:NOC) and Airbus Defence and Space, a unit of Airbus SE, are the prime contractors, the Pentagon statement said.

"The proposed sale of the MQ-4C Triton will close a crucial capability gap and will enhance bilateral and NATO interoperability and will help ensure that Germany is able to continue to monitor and deter regional threats," the statement said.
From here: https://m.investing.com/news/world-news/us-state-dept-oks-possible-25-billion-sale-of-military-drones-to-germany-1381091?ampMode=1

[sunwings]

Maybe the most beautiful shot of Falcon 9 Launch


https://i.imgur.com/UDS9eiQ.gifv

[Noelle]

Maybe the most beautiful shot of Falcon 9 Launch


https://i.imgur.com/UDS9eiQ.gifv

:happythumbsup: It looks like it's busting through a dimensional barrier.