Lockheed Martin Reportedly Made Changes In Payload Adapter That Did Not Operate Properly

A piece of hardware called a payload adapter that was modified by Lockheed Martin prior to the launch of the Zuma Satellite in January was what caused the loss of the secretive military payload, according to investigators looking into the matter.

The Los Angeles Times relays a report from the Wall Street Journal which indicates that two separate teams of investigators representing both the U.S. government and the aerospace industry have "tentatively concluded" that the payload adaptor did not operate correctly, which prevented the satellite from deploying during the launch. The teams cited "engineering and testing errors by Northrop Grumman" as the reason for the failure.

NGC also built the Zuma satellite for the U.S. government. A person familiar with the process told the Wall Street Journal that the adaptor was acquired from a subcontractor, but was later "significantly modified" by Northrop Grumman and tested three times by the company prior to launch. When the payload reached its orbital altitude, it did not detach from the Falcon 9 rocket and fell back into the atmosphere. While it did eventually separate from the rocket, it had fallen too far for a rescue.

The Zuma satellite's mission was classified. Neither SpaceX, which conducted the launch, or Northrop Grumman would comment for the story to the WSJ.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original report