The secret spy government payload SpaceX launched yesterday may have been lost

Zuma, the code name for the secret U.S. government payload, which is believed to be a spy satellite that was launched into space yesterday by SpaceX, appears to have been lost after it failed to reach orbit, reports the Wall Street Journal. It is believed the satellite, potentially worth billions, was dragged back into the Earth’s atmosphere where it was destroyed. Given the secret nature of the mission, no one is commenting on any failures that occurred–or why they occurred–but if the reports are accurate they are potentially very damaging to SpaceX if the fault was theirs, as the company is actively seeking more national-security launch business.