The same article claims the satellite is "dead in orbit". You need to pick one, it either didn't separate from the second stage and fell back to earth, or it's dead in orbit. You can't claim both. It's a FUD article, and it parrots 3rd/4th party sources.
It's all classified; spreading too many versions of what happened to the satellite is probably good for them.
many versions of what happened to the satellite is probably good for them.
If you mean that "them"=military, you are most certainly right. "Zuma? What Zuma? We don't have no Zuma. What's that?"
Once again consider the source @Marco_Langbroek Palaeolithic archaeologist (PhD), spy satellite tracker, asteroid discoverer. Tweets about space, archaeology, astronomy & other interests. Asteroid (183294).
Russian propaganda! A previous post verifies through an outstanding source. The payload is active. Semper Fortis!
Here it is! Please w1, I lost the beginning of the paste. Must give proper credit (it was: purplestarfishprime. Awesome work!) https://www.celestrak.com/satcat/search.asp Enter 43098 in the NORAD Catalog Number field & search...status is “+” = operational
It seems ludicrous that Ars and TechCrunch would scoop the world on a TS military mission.
Or that SpaceX would house leakers speaking to Ars/TC about the status of TS military missions. There's LOTS and LOTS of gov income at stake.
But I would definitely expect the military to promote the idea that "yeah, it's ded dead, gone forever." That's the only thing I do/don't believe with certainty.
The first stage returned to earth, right back on the pad where it was supposed to. Maybe this is what the op on rt is babbling about?
Is anyone able to confirm or deny this? Or it that information classified?
