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SpaceX adds mystery “Zuma” mission, Iridium-4 aims for Vandenberg landing
nasaspaceflight.com ^ | October 16, 2017 | Chris Gebhardt

Posted on 10/16/2017 1:16:54 PM PDT by BenLurkin

It’s not often that one can point to a last-minute (from the public side) addition of a mission to a launch manifest – let alone one that manages to stay secret until 30 days before the opening of its launch campaign.

But that is the case for a mystery Falcon 9 mission that is now set to launch between Koreasat-5A and CRS-13/Dragon.

The mystery mission, codename Zuma, is known on its FCC launch license as Mission 1390 and will see a Falcon 9 rocket launch from LC-39A at the Kennedy Space Center before performing a RTLS (Return To Launch Site) landing at LZ-1 at Cape Canaveral.

The mission is a new addition to SpaceX’s manifest and now appears to be the last flight off Pad 39A before the pad undergoes final configurations for the debut of the Falcon Heavy, which is still slated for NET (No Earlier Than) December 2017.

With such secrecy, the customer candidate for Zuma would normally be the U.S. government/military (i.e.: the National Reconnaissance Office or the Air Force); however, there is industry speculation claiming this is a “black commercial” mission.

(Excerpt) Read more at nasaspaceflight.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy
KEYWORDS: iridium4; spacex; vandenberg; zuma

1 posted on 10/16/2017 1:16:54 PM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: BenLurkin

Great thing about SpaceX’s reusable craft is it’s much easier to insert such surprise missions.


2 posted on 10/16/2017 1:28:21 PM PDT by ctdonath2 (It's not "white privilege", it's "Puritan work ethic". Behavior begets consequences.)
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To: ctdonath2

I know that Iridium is planning a Low Earth Orbit satellite network of 68(?) geo-synchronous routers to provide worldwide digital broadband from space.

If they manage to pull it off, it’ll be a quantum leap ahead of cable.


3 posted on 10/16/2017 1:47:28 PM PDT by pingman (More WINNING!)
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To: pingman

SpaceX would like to launch it’s own network of 4000 to 5000 satellites for broadband.


4 posted on 10/16/2017 2:42:25 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: BenLurkin

Great article! Thanks for posting.

All of you ‘Never-SpaceXers’ who rant about SpaceX only existing because of government handouts need to read this in its entirety.


5 posted on 10/16/2017 2:44:37 PM PDT by BwanaNdege ("The church ... is not the master or the servant of the state, but the conscience" - Luther)
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To: ctdonath2

Great thing about SpaceX’s reusable craft is it’s much easier to insert such surprise missions.

...

Very true. Most people only think about cost savings, but reusability is just as much about a busy launch schedule.

The article says the secret mission will use a new core intended for CRS13, and CRS13 may use a refurbished core (but NASA has to allow it).


6 posted on 10/16/2017 2:44:39 PM PDT by Moonman62 (Make America Great Again!)
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To: BenLurkin

A smattering of tungsten rods on the payload?


7 posted on 10/16/2017 2:45:26 PM PDT by txhurl
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To: BenLurkin; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...
If you build it, they will come. :^) Thanks BenLurkin.

8 posted on 10/16/2017 5:36:21 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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To: BwanaNdege

Well said.


9 posted on 10/16/2017 5:37:33 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (www.tapatalk.com/groups/godsgravesglyphs/, forum.darwincentral.org, www.gopbriefingroom.com)
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To: BenLurkin

Outstanding!!
Bookmark.


10 posted on 10/16/2017 6:10:25 PM PDT by SunTzuWu
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To: Moonman62

The question is who controls the available spectrum?


11 posted on 10/16/2017 6:47:51 PM PDT by pingman (More WINNING!)
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