Satellite total loss or tail wagging the dog?

[Streck-Fu]

Oh, that Super Secret Spy Satellite? Don't worry, total loss.... doesn't work... we lost the satellite in a fishing accident....trust us....

LINK

A highly classified U.S. government satellite appears to have been totally lost after being taken into space by a recent launch from Elon Musk's SpaceX, according to a new report.

Dow Jones reported Monday evening that lawmakers had been briefed about the apparent destruction of the secretive payload — code-named Zuma — citing industry and government officials

The payload was suspected to have burned up in the atmosphere after failing to separate perfectly from the upper part of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, the report said.

[rsdengler]

I blame the Russians.....Oh wait, it's Trumps fault, it's a conspiracy..... Hummmm, Highly Classified Info......Hummmmmm......

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by Streck-Fu

Oh, that Super Secret Spy Satellite? Don't worry, total loss.... doesn't work... we lost the satellite in a fishing accident....trust us....

I'm sure like us, the Russians/Chinese can track just about anything we throw into space.

It would be sorta stupid to say it crashed when it didn't.

[Streck-Fu]

A new US launched object was registered at Space-Track

INTLDES NORAD_CAT_ID OBJECT_TYPE SATNAME COUNTRY LAUNCH SITE
2018-001A 43098 PAYLOAD USA 280 US 2018-01-08 AFETR

[scooter]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

I'm sure like us, the Russians/Chinese can track just about anything we throw into space.

It would be sorta stupid to say it crashed when it didn't.

SpaceX said the launch was nominal, and the rocket performed as designed. Whatever happened here, it was likely intentional - the thing is in orbit and there is some sort of purpose for the (easily discoverable) false report, or it was designed for immediate reentry and was not actually a satellite.

[CSB]

In low earth orbit everything larger than a tennis ball is tracked by us, Russians and the Chinese, among others (including amateurs). If it had made it to orbit, there would be no need to bluff.

Unlike most other companies, SpaceX does not believe in pyrotechnic charges for stage separation and release of the payload from the adaptor that forms the interconnect/disconnect between the space vehicle and the upper stage.

That adds weight, but it reduces the dynamics (shock waves and overpressures) that could reduce the ability to reuse the launch vehicle.

So I suspect that when it came time for the upper stage to release the space vehicle (satellite or whatever) the solenoids/hydraulics/pneumatics failed.

And that could fall on the downstream components (the payload adaptor) or the upstream components (the space vehicle). So without recovering the wreckage, there will be a blame game and close readouts of the telemetry to try and determine whose fault it was.

[Streck-Fu]

SpaceX claiming nominal performance could be an effort to avoid compensation for loss.

[bblhead672]

Y'all are missing the point....do the muzzies feel better about themselves because of this?