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SpaceX is about to launch 'Zuma,' a top-secret satellite that's shrouded in mystery

SpaceX is gearing up to launch a third top-secret spacecraft for the US government, a mission the company calls "Zuma" but has said little else about.

  • SpaceX is launching its third clandestine spacecraft for the US government in a mission called "Zuma."
  • The launch has been delayed multiple times, and is tentatively scheduled for Friday around 8 p.m. ET.
  • Whenever the Zuma mission does launch, its lift-off will be broadcast live by SpaceX via YouTube video feed.

SpaceX is gearing up to launch a third top-secret spacecraft for the US government, a mission the company calls "Zuma" but has said little else about.

The mystery satellite is tentatively slated to lift off from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Friday after 8 p.m. ET though possibly as late as 10 p.m. ET. SpaceX plans to broadcast the launch live via YouTube starting about 15 minutes beforehand. (You can watch the video feed at the end of this post.)

SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by tech mogul and Mars-colonizing hopeful Elon Musk, initially planned to launch the clandestine spacecraft on Wednesday. However, the company delayed the launch multiple times.

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The reason for the delay doesn't appear to be weather-related, given the current forecast. Previous delays were made "to allow engineers to complete additional mission assurance work," according to Spaceflight Now. SpaceX said in laterstatements that a fairing (i.e. rocket nosecone) inspection "for another customer" caused the company to stand down, and that it "will take the time we need to complete the data review and will then confirm a new launch date" — so a Friday lift-off may be canceled.

SpaceX has loaded the Zuma payload atop a reusable Falcon 9 rocket earlier this week.

When it lifts off, the Falcon 9's roughly 133-foot-tall booster — the largest and most expensive part — will lug Zuma a few dozen miles above Earth, then detach and attempt to land at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Right after separating from the booster, a smaller second-stage rocket will fire up and finish pushing the secret payload into orbit.

The Zuma mission is more secretive than most, as public filings don't even mention the launch customer paying SpaceX.

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It's not clear whether the satellite is owned by the US military or a commercial entity. The National Reconnaissance Office typically launches spy satellites, but a representative told Aviation Week that Zuma doesn't belong to the NRO.

SpaceX declined to answer questions about the Zuma mission, but Northrop Grumman — one of the largest defense contractors in the world — has acknowledged that they're playing a role.

Lon Rains, the communications director for Northrop Grumman's space systems division, sent Business Insider this statement:

"Northrop Grumman is proud to be a part of the Zuma launch. This event represents a cost effective approach to space access for government missions. The U.S. Government assigned Northrop Grumman the responsibility of acquiring launch services for this mission. We have procured the Falcon 9 launch service from SpaceX.

"As a company, Northrop Grumman realizes this is a monumental responsibility and we have taken great care to ensure the most affordable and lowest risk scenario for Zuma.

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"The Zuma payload is a restricted payload. It will be launched into Low Earth Orbit."

Low-Earth orbit, or LEO, is considered to be less than about 1,000 miles above the surface of the planet. Rains declined to provide further detail about the mission, however, cautioning that the company is "not saying anything else or answering any other questions."

Satellite trackers found out about the launch via public yet cryptic FCCfilings in October, and shared them in a NASA Spaceflight forum thread.

Since then, the vacuum of information has led to evolving speculation about the details and purpose of the launch. NASA Spaceflight's thread about Zuma and a Nov. 15 story from Spaceflight Now have floated a number of ideas and theories:

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  • Ars Technica claims it is the NRO's
  • NROL-76

You can watch the launch live via SpaceX's YouTube feed around 8 p.m. ET on Friday.

Zuma Webcast

This story was originally published on Thursday and has been updated with new information provided by SpaceX.

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