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<\/p>\nSpaceX launched its first mission of 2018, involving the secretive Zuma spacecraft. The launch took place on Sunday and while SpaceX note the performance of the rocket was nominal, there are growing questions over the fate of the spacecraft, with some reports it has failed.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
The secrecy surrounding the Zuma launch resulted in the launch remaining secret until 30 days before the opening of its original launch campaign.<\/p>\n
The first official note about the mission came from the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) launch license citing it as Mission 1390, with the Falcon 9 launching from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center before performing a RTLS (Return To Launch Site) landing at LZ-1 at Cape Canaveral.<\/p>\n
As first reported by NASASpaceflight.com, Zuma is a commercially contracted, built, and operated clandestine spacecraft by Northrop Grumman via a contract award from the U.S. government.<\/p>\n
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Northrop Grumman, as part of their contract to build and operate Zuma, was also tasked with selecting and managing the launch contract for the satellite.<\/p>\n
According to source documentation, Zuma\u2019s launch contract \u2013 which did not specify a launch date \u2013 was established with SpaceX in 2015.<\/p>\n
Northrop Grumman\u2019s Communications Director, Lon Rains, said in a statement that \u201cThis event represents a cost effective approach to space access for government missions. As a company, Northrop Grumman realizes that this is a monumental responsibility and has taken great care to ensure the most affordable and lowest risk scenarios for Zuma.\u201d<\/p>\n
While the precise cost of the launch contract has not been divulged, it is known that the Zuma payload was not processed in any of SpaceX\u2019s payload processing facilities.<\/p>\n
Because of that, as well as the contract\u2019s initiation in 2015, it is likely that this mission falls within the $60 million (USD) range for a brand new Falcon 9, with very few \u2013 if any \u2013 of SpaceX\u2019s add-on options needed for payload processing.<\/p>\n
Given that United Launch Alliance\u2019s base Atlas V 401 rocket carries at starting price tag of $109 million (USD), it stands to reason that selection of the Falcon 9 was by far the cheapest and most launch-date reactive choice for Zuma.<\/p>\n
While the contract was signed in 2015, a launch date was not determined until late-April 2017 when the government customer notified Northrop Grumman of the launch period for Zuma of 1-30 November 2017.<\/p>\n
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Zuma on 39A ahead of the switch to SLC-40 \u2013 Photo by SpaceX<\/p>\n
Once the launch date was known, it is understood by NASASpaceflight.com that SpaceX assigned Falcon 9 first stage B1043 to Zuma \u2013 a core that was originally supposed to launch the CRS-13\/Dragon mission for NASA to the International Space Station.<\/p>\n
Due to the U.S. government\u2019s initial wish to launch Zuma before 30 November, SpaceX\u2019s manifest was rearranged to meet the customer\u2019s short-notice launch need \u2013 representing a rapid launch response capability for SpaceX that has been greatly aided by the company\u2019s immensely successful reuse of the Falcon 9 first stage booster.<\/p>\n
This reuse ability has allowed SpaceX to optimize its launch manifest and has allowed its customers greater flexibility and launch date assurance than would otherwise have been available if the company only relied on brand new Falcon 9s for every flight.<\/p>\n
The goal of reusability has been a long-standing one for SpaceX and is one the company appears to be on track to meet.<\/p>\n
Likewise, a rapid launch cadence has also been a goal that materialized for SpaceX during 2017. Zuma was the 47th flight of the Falcon 9 (though technically the Falcon 9\u2019s 48th mission \u2013 as the AMOS-6 mission\u2019s conflagration on the pad during static fire resulted in that mission never flying).<\/p>\n
It was also Falcon 9\u2019s 1st flight of 2018 \u2013 a year that has approximately 30 planned Falcon rocket family missions.<\/p>\n
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Falcon 9 and Zuma on 39A \u2013 Photo by Chris Gebhardt for NSF\/L2<\/p>\n
Originally targeting launch in mid-November 2017, Zuma had to be delayed due to an issue found with a payload fairing for a future mission. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe have decided to stand down and take a closer look at data from recent fairing testing for another customer,\u201d SpaceX said 16 November. \u201cThough we have preserved the range opportunity for tomorrow, we will take the time we need to complete the data review and will then confirm a new launch date.\u201d<\/p>\n
That issue has since been cleared, as confirmed by SpaceX during the CRS-13 mission briefings. However, Zuma had to swap pads.<\/p>\n
Zuma was slated to be the final Falcon 9 mission from 39A in 2017 \u2013 as the pad needed to be turned over for Falcon Heavy\u2019s debut as soon as Zuma was away. With the delay, Zuma moved to a launch from SLC-40 to allow processing for Falcon Heavy\u2019s debut to continue.\n<\/p>\n
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Falcon Heavy on 39A during fit checks. Photo by SpaceX<\/p>\n
\nBoth missions went into separate \u2013 yet still related per available assets in Florida \u2013 flows, with Zuma the priority.<\/p>\n
With Zuma now launched, SpaceX will be able to start to firm up the major milestone dates for Falcon Heavy, starting with the Static Fire test, which was NET (No Earlier Than) January 6. However, this is now going to be moved into the following week due to the Zuma delay. The reason for the realignment was apparently \u2013 though never confirmed \u2013 as related to upper level wind predictions, which were unacceptable for most of the week.<\/p>\n
At present, both Falcon Heavy\u2019s Static Fire and launch dates still haven\u2019t been officially listed on the Eastern Range. Following the delays to Zuma, this Static Fire test has now moved into next week, with the launch now looking like the end of the month, according to Elon Musk.<\/p>\n
The focus remained on successfully lofting Zuma to her orbit, thus all dates relating to Falcon Heavy have \u2013 and remain \u2013 subject to change.<\/p>\n
With the mission swapping to SLC-40, SpaceX opted to rollout the booster on Tuesday, without the payload, which allowed for a Wet Dress Rehearsal (WDR) test on Wednesday. This move allows for additional mission assurance, not least as SLC-40 is continuing its return to action via what will be just its second launch since being repaired. Zuma\u2019s launch follows the successful CRS-13 launch. Another WDR was conducted on Thursday.<\/p>\n