Secret U.S. spy satellite may be lost in space after SpaceX launch

An expensive, secret U.S. spy satellite with highly classified information may be lost in space, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

The satellite built for the government and codenamed Zuma launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station aboard a SpaceX rocket on Sunday.

But, according to the Journal, the satellite failed to reach orbit atop a Space Exploration Technologies Corp. rocket.

A spokesman for Northrop Grumman Corp., which built the satellite valued to be worth more than $1 billion, told the Journal: “This is a classified mission. We cannot comment on classified missions.”

The Falcon’s first stage reportedly completed its job, lifting the rocket off the pad and toward space, then separated and landed back at Cape Canaveral, but it’s the second stage, which propels the satellite into orbit, that is being questioned as information on it is minimal considering the secrecy surrounding the flight.

But the Journal quotes unidentified government officials who were briefed on the mission as saying the satellite apparently did not separate from the second stage, and plunged back into the atmosphere and burned up.

SpaceX responded to the reports and defended its rocket performance during the weekend launch.

Company president Gwynne Shotwell said the rocket “did everything correctly” and suggestions otherwise are “categorically false,” according to the Associated Press.

This was SpaceX’s third classified mission for the U.S. government, AP reported. This particular launch was so shrouded in secrecy that the sponsoring government agency was not identified, which is usually the case.

This story was originally published January 9, 2018 at 5:08 PM with the headline "Secret U.S. spy satellite may be lost in space after SpaceX launch."