Launch News Zuma: SpaceX Top Secret Mission (8 p.m. ET, Sunday, Jan 7, 2018)

[Nicholas Kang]

Mission Press Kit is available here.

Weather Updates:

90% favorable for Friday's launch:

Launch day probability of violating launch weather constraints: <10%
Primary concern(s): Cumulus Cloud Rule

Delay day probability of violating launch weather constraints: 10%
Primary concern(s): Cumulus Cloud Rule

All the best! :thumbup:

 

[MaverickSawyer]

So, other than the name, what do we know about the payload?

 

[Kyle]

So, other than the name, what do we know about the payload?

Built by Northrop Grumman.

Other than that, no one knows.

 

[MaverickSawyer]

Interesting. What orbit it winds up in will tell us an awful lot about the payload, though, right?

 

[Urwumpe]

Interesting. What orbit it winds up in will tell us an awful lot about the payload, though, right?

The later orbit after commissioning, yes. The initial orbit might have different requirements to ensure flawless activation and calibration.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

New launch date is out! SpaceX 1st launch in 2018.

Liftoff currently scheduled for January 5th 2018, 20:00 - 22:00 EST (January 6th 2018, 01:00 - 03:00 UTC). Launch site moved from LC-39A to SLC-40.

Second static fire unnecessary at SLC-40.

[ame="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/948554978163007488"]SpaceX on Twitter: "Team at the Cape performed a propellant loading test of Falcon 9 on Pad 40 this morning – additional static fire test of the rocket was not… https://t.co/35Wv23n6Nc"[/ame]

Live broadcast link will be posted here once released.

 

[boogabooga]

SLC-40?

Will this be the first use since the 2016 disaster?

 

[Nicholas Kang]

[ame="https://twitter.com/SpaceX/status/949074398543261696"]SpaceX on Twitter: "Team at the Cape completed additional propellant loading tests today. Extreme weather slowed operations but Falcon 9 and the Zuma spacecraft… https://t.co/sPsVClI725"[/ame]

Now targeting Jan. 7.

SLC-40?

Will this be the first use since the 2016 disaster?

No, the first use of LC-40 since the 2016 disaster was the CRS-13 launch on Dec. 15, 2017. So, this will be the second launch from LC-40 since the 2016 disaster.

 

[Nicholas Kang]

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.

Mission press kit is available here.

Live webcast:

 

[Urwumpe]

Zuma will launch in about one hour.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

I'm ready!

 

[Kyle]

Fueling underway

---------- Post added at 12:31 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:14 AM ----------

L-29 minutes, LOX flowing into S1

 

[Thunder Chicken]

Trippy space music engaged :banana:

 

[GLS]

Liftoff... looks to be heading northeast.... testing a new spy bird?

---------- Post added at 01:09 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:02 AM ----------

.. and touchdown!
And that's it for us mere mortals.

 

[Thunder Chicken]

That's a wrap.

 

[Andy44]

That's a wrap.

That photo is epic. I wonder how he captured the people standing on the ground; they couldn't possibly have stood still for so long. I know how I would probably try it with film, but...wow.

 

[ADSWNJ]

That's a wrap.

Credit for the photographer: John K does an awesome job with these photos.

 

[Artlav]

That photo is epic. I wonder how he captured the people standing on the ground; they couldn't possibly have stood still for so long.

The whole thing only lasted a few minutes, nothing surprising about people standing there for that long.
The way stars moved and the brightness suggests that this was all done in one exposure.

---------- Post added at 05:57 ---------- Previous post was at 05:54 ----------

On a better look they appear to be somewhat transparent, which suggests they didn't stay there all that time.

 

[Thundersnook]

You can see in the startrails that this has to be a stitched photograph of at least 3 photos.
The trails are separated in the 1st third and the 2nd is brighter than the last third ...

Nevertheless that photo is absolutely awesome! You can see all the different parts of the flight including separation, boostback, entry and landing burns and their trajectory. How awesome!

Edit: Wow, even Elon himself posted the photo via Instagram :thumbup: wonder if he is reading this thread? :hmm::lol:

 

[Messierhunter]

Here's my footage of the launch, it was truly spectacular to see and I think the video came out quite well.