SpaceX just made history.

[Sgt Beavis]

They'll be fine though. The launch window (or at least the optimum window) is decently wide, relatively speaking. NASA wasn't going to launch Insight until April-May.

Yea, that's not really a worry. It's just another delay is all.

[Strychnine]

Apparently SpaceX had to cancel the engine test firing of the F9H because of the gubment shutdown's effect on NASA.

They'll be fine though. The launch window (or at least the optimum window) is decently wide, relatively speaking. NASA wasn't going to launch Insight until April-May.

[jw33]

If I had a super-duper secret payload going into space I would want as much ambiguity about the success/failure of the launch as possible.

And then there was the Delta IV NROL from Vandenberg a few day's after SpaceX. The press release read like a DPRK news story...

“As the nation’s most trustworthy launch provider, today’s launch exemplifies ULA’s ongoing commitment to 100 percent mission success,” said Will Crawford, ULA’s NRO program manager. “My sincere thanks to the entire ULA team and our mission partners at the NRO and U.S. Air Force who made this, our 27th NRO launch, possible.”

Who the hell knows what kind of shenanigans are actually going on. There's really no telling. The only thing for certain is that there are probably a lot of people rooting against SpaceX for doing what they have done so far.

[Sgt Beavis]

In reference to the failed Zuma launch. The USAF has now said,

"Based on the data available, our team did not identify any information that would change SpaceX's Falcon 9 certification status,"

https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/01/spacex-gets-good-news-from-the-air-force-on-the-zuma-mission/

That's as close as they can come to saying it wasn't SpaceX's fault until the investigation is complete.

[Sgt Beavis]

Apparently SpaceX had to cancel the engine test firing of the F9H because of the gubment shutdown's effect on NASA.

[Sgt Beavis]

I found it interesting that Northrop Grumman handled the attachment mechanism between the F9's 2nd stage and the payload. If they cut out SpaceX from the process, for security reasons, then I could definitely see a problem happening there.

[mschmoyer]

Zuma dead?

Probably. But whispers right now say the rocket did it's part. Truth will come out someday. Either SpaceX will want to clear their name, or we'll just see them stop receiving gov't contracts.

Edit: Awesome image above.

[jw33]

Zuma dead?

https://sattrackcam.blogspot.nl/2018/01/fuel-dump-of-zumas-falcon-9-upper-stage.html

[Strychnine]

Falcon 9 launch over the weekend.


Higher res: https://i.redd.it/8jkukgakvq801.jpg

Spacing was roughly as follows. 00:00 is liftoff.
Exposure 1: 00:00 -> 3:13
Exposure 2: ~3:15 -> ~5:15
Exposure 3: ~6:00 -> ~8:00

[Sgt Beavis]

Like I said, there are so many things you can hit him on.

[Ruffdaddy]

So is it on electric cars, tunneling, rockets, or solar power? So many things you can hit him on.

Maybe it was a comparison of his companies and financial practices with Enron?

Or the a fact that his behavior is a lot like that of trump...hes just not hated by the leftist media (yet)?

[Sgt Beavis]

My company did a huge PR hitjob on Musk today, it was rather... unexpected.

So is it on electric cars, tunneling, rockets, or solar power? So many things you can hit him on.

[CJ]

My company did a huge PR hitjob on Musk today, it was rather... unexpected.

[Sgt Beavis]

Elon Musk doesn't need to ask NASA for secrets because he just hires their employees away. They do the same thing at Planetary Resources.

That's correct, a lot of his people came from NASA, JPL, and ULA. The big difference is that he wants to push the envelope, and push it fast. Frankly we haven't seen this pace of development since the early X program or the Space Race.

[Broncojohnny]

Elon Musk doesn't need to ask NASA for secrets because he just hires their employees away. They do the same thing at Planetary Resources.