US DoD mum on fate of secret satellite
The mystery surrounding the fate of a secret military satellite deepened on 11 January when the US Department of Defense (DoD) refused to answer questions about whether the mission to launch it had gone awry.
On 7 January, SpaceX blasted a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida carrying the secret government satellite, called Zuma.
According to media reports, the billion-dollar payload did not make it into orbit and was presumed to have been lost.
On 9 January, SpaceX said that the rocket worked fine, but its statement left open the possibility that something could have gone wrong after the launch.
Dana White, spokeswoman for the US DoD, said: ‘I would have to refer you to SpaceX, who conducted the launch.’
Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie, Director of the Joint Staff, said: ‘I am done. We are not going to be able to give you any more information.’
According to Northrup Grumman, the payload was for the US government and would be delivered to low-Earth orbit.
SpaceX has launched national security payloads in the past including a spy satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office and an X-37B space plane for the US Air Force.
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![Australia looks towards space with force restructure, investment and training]()
Australia looks towards space with force restructure, investment and training
Australia is looking to improve its presence in space with a focus on communications and creating a dedicated segment of its defence forces committed to the domain.
-
![EID to unveil new vehicle communication system at DSEI]()
EID to unveil new vehicle communication system at DSEI
The Portuguese company’s naval communications system is in service across more than a dozen countries. It has turned to its home nation for support in developing a new vehicle based C2 system.
-
![Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker]()
Chess Dynamics successfully demonstrates Vision4ce AI-driven tracker
The Vision4ce Deep Embedded Feature Tracking (DEFT) technology software is designed to process video and images by blending traditional computer vision with artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to present actionable information from complex environments.
-
![Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend]()
Wave Relay devices cleared for security use on commercial systems in industry trend
Persistent Systems has been cleared by National Security Agency (NSA) to transmit sensitive data on commercial networks. The devices are added to the NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) component list which also includes other companies’ products providing the same security.
-
![UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release]()
UK teases cyber spending boost in Strategic Defence Review ahead of “imminent” release
The release of the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR) has been long promised as mid-year. It is possible it could be as early as 2 June although the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) continues to play its cards close to its chest.
-
![Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)]()
Intelsat emphasises SATCOM resilience for SOF in contested domains (video)
Intelsat outlines how its multi-orbit SATCOM architecture is enhancing connectivity and resilience for special operations forces operating in degraded and contested environments.
