SpaceX Launches US Spy Satellite on Secret Mission, Nails Rocket Landing

[burfman]

Source: space.com

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon rocket lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday (May 1) to boost a classified spy satellite into orbit for the U.S. military, then turned around and touched down at a nearby landing pad.

It was the 34th mission for SpaceX, but its first flight for the Department of Defense, a customer long-pursued by company founder Elon Musk. The privately owned SpaceX once sued the Air Force over its exclusive launch services contract with United Launch Alliance (ULA), a partnership of Lockheed-Martin and Boeing.

Monday's 7:15 a.m. EDT (1115 GMT) liftoff of a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) officially broke ULA's 10-year monopoly on launching U.S. military and national security satellites. [In Photos: SpaceX's First US Military Satellite Launch]

Read more: http://www.space.com/36666-spacex-launches-first-spy-satellite-nails-landing.html

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All sorts of things going on here.

A private for profit USA company started by an immigrant is creating leading edge rocketry.....

moving the state of the art toward cheaper, recyclable spacecraft......


burfman.......

[BumRushDaShow]

1. Well

Boeing and Lockheed-Martin and Grumman, etc., were all private/for-profits - obviously contracted to the federal government to produce similar vehicles. The space shuttle was sortof the epitome being able to deploy satellites like this (Atlantis was used the most for this type of classified launch being one that had a robotic arm) and could shuttle a bunch of people around and to the ISS in a reusable craft.

[LunaSea]

4. But..

Shuttle was hobbled by congressional funding before the design was even complete.
The dual-vehicle system was axed in favor of disposable solid motors and tank.
It's original purpose (station building) was canceled leaving it with no destination.
The Air Force saved shuttle from congressional deletion altogether by wanting to use it for satellite launches. Even built a spiffy, but ill-designed launch complex for it at Vandenberg.

Turned out launching some satellites from shuttle was far too dangerous to continue the practice.

It would seem that the simplest approach to this most difficult endeavor may be the most practical.

I miss Shuttle too, but it never did quite live up to what we thought it could do.
Mostly due to our own collective short-sightedness.

[BumRushDaShow]

6. Oh I know I know

but I think looking back, their function was really incredible as a multi-purpose vehicle (including "space plane&quot to be improved upon (even with the loss of 2 craft and their astronauts).

[LunaSea]

9. Keep an eye on DreamChasers development

Old ideas made new again.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. I've been watching them

The sooner we can transport our own astronauts to the ISS the better (whether through that concept or what the others are working on). I hate to have to rely on Russia (although we pay them well for it).

[William Seger]

2. The return and landing video is incredible! Amazing technology (nt)

[CaptainTruth]

3. I woke up to the rumble of the launch this morning.

And when Falcon returns to Kennedy the sonic boom (coming back down) is awesome, it rattles things in my house. I love it!

[KingCharlemagne]

5. Anothe mercenary whore profiting off the (taxpayer-funded) military-industrial complex. Excuse

me if I presume to ask, Just who is the enemy?

[LunaSea]

7. Time.

And human extinction are the enemy.

[KingCharlemagne]

8. I'm sure an expensive spy satellite is gonna help us defeat that

enemy.

[LunaSea]

11. You never know...

An expensive spy satellite designed to monitor missile launches discovered gamma ray bursts.
Now we know that earths biosphere could be toast in milliseconds should a powerful one be pointed in out direction. Another good reason to spread ourselves around more.

[LunaSea]

13. Hell, I'm using MIC derived technology right this minute

to monitor the nasty storms tracking through my part of the country.
Helpful, as the sky sometimes wants to kill me.

[hack89]

10. Are you saying America has no enemies?

now or in the future? In a world of uncertainty, information is critical to understand what is happening and to allow good choices. Which is why a spy satellite is good investment. It certainly beats making decisions in an information void.

[KingCharlemagne]

14. The main enemy is in the White House, followed by legions

on Wall Street.

But I think you and I have different definitions of what an "enemy" is.

[hack89]

15. Was that the case one year ago?

or in the future when a Dem is in the WH?

[KingCharlemagne]

16. My, aren't you precious? OK, you tell me, who is

America's enemy?

[LunaSea]

17. oh, oh, I know!

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10029000784

[hack89]

19. Not every resident of the White House for sure.

just seeing how much thought went into your post. That's all.

[eggplant]

20. Ignorance is our enemy.

[MicaelS]

21. Russia. The country who helped steal our election.

[EX500rider]

22. let's see..

The Taliban
ISIS
N Korea

and potentially:

Iran
Russia
China
etc..

[bluestarone]

18. sometimes tho

I do worry about who they are really spying on?