【】UPDATE: Nov. 15, 2017, 8:59 a.m. EST
UPDATE: Nov. 15, 2017, 8:59 a.m. EST 。 SpaceX is pushing back the launch of the secret Zuma mission to Thursday. According to the company, "Both Falcon 9 and the payload remain healthy; teams will use the extra day to conduct some additional mission assurance work in advance of launch. The launch time and window remain the same for Thursday." This story has been updated to reflect the new information. 。
On Thursday, SpaceX will launch a secret mission to space. 。
The Elon Musk-founded spaceflight company is expected to launch a secret government payload known only as Zuma atop a Falcon 9 rocket between 8 p.m. ET and 10 p.m. ET on Thursday. 。
SEE ALSO:SpaceX rocket comes in for a fiery but successful landing after launching satellite。Once the secret mission is safely on its way to orbit, the first stage of the Falcon 9 will come back down to Earth, landing on a pad back in Cape Canaveral, Florida about 10 minutes later.。
You can watch the launch live via SpaceX, and in the window below. 。
Thanks for signing up! 。
If the Zuma launch goes well, it will mark SpaceX's 17th launch of 2017. If the landing goes off without a hitch, it will be the company's 20th overall successful landing. This includes landings on drone ships at sea as well as on land.。
Very little is known about the Zuma mission, as no government or commercial entity has claimed it.。
Usually, even the National Reconnaissance Office -- the branch of the government responsible for maintaining spy satellites -- will say when a payload is theirs while keeping the mission details classified. But for some reason, whatever agency is behind Zuma isn't coming forward. 。
All we know is that the aerospace and defense giant Northrop Grumman was asked by the government to procure a launch vehicle for the mission and it chose SpaceX, a spokesman for Northrop Grumman said via email. The spokesman also added that Zuma will be headed to low-Earth orbit, which is the region of space about 1,200 miles above the planet. 。 Zuma calls to mind two missions launched in 2009 and 2014, according to industry publication。Zuma calls to mind two missions launched in 2009 and 2014, according to industry publication。
Spaceflight Now 。 . Those missions, called PAN and CLIO, were also secret and unclaimed by any government entity.。According to documents obtained by。
The Intercept 。
, the PAN mission was used to listen in on conversations routed through communications satellites above the Middle East, via the National Security Agency.。
Featured Video For You 。
相关文章
More than half of women in advertising have faced sexual harassment, report says
If you are a woman in advertising, chances are you've faced workplace sexual harassment at one point2024-09-20Sen. Al Franken cut from PBS’ David Letterman tribute after sexual misconduct allegations
PBS is cutting Sen. Al Franken from their broadcast of the Kennedy Center's ceremony for Late Showho2024-09-20This leather bin bag costs $423 and yes, fashion is literally trash
As they say, one man's trash is another man's treasure.But we're not sure if this leather bin bag by2024-09-20The cult hit 'Desert Bus' makes its triumphant return in virtual reality
Desert Bus VR takes all the thrill of an eight-hour bus trip with no breaks. It lets you experience2024-09-20Tesla's rumored P100D could make Ludicrous mode even more Ludicrous
A Tesla Model S P100D begs the question: What's more Ludicrous than Ludicrous?Right now, the biggest2024-09-20Snapchat quietly released new filters based on objects you're snapping
Too lazy to be creative with Snapchat? Well, there's a new feature for you.Snap quietly launched new2024-09-20
最新评论