An expensive spy satellite has likely been destroyed following an attempt to launch the satellite into orbit by SpaceX in Cape Canaveral over the weekend. The launch appeared to be successful, but Bloomberg reports that U.S. Strategic Command said they were not tracking any new satellites.
SpaceX streamed a webcast of the launch, which showed the 23-minutes of the rocket lifting off, and the first stage of the rocket breaking off and being recovered. The company usually streams the entire launch, but this time cut away from stage two. This could be due to the classified nature of the payload, or could be related the failure.
According to NBC News, the "classified intelligence satellite, built by Northrop Grumman Corp., failed to separate from the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket and is assumed to have broken up or plunged into the sea."
The failure to get the top secret satellite into orbit is a setback for Elon Musk and SpaceX. He lobbied hard, even taking the matter to court, for the ability to be certified to conduct launches for the military. But, the mission was not a total loss. SpaceX was able to land the first stage of the rocket, which can be used again in future launches.