WASHINGTON \u2014 Days after a secret U.S. government satellite apparently failed following its launch aboard a SpaceX rocket, one U.S. lawmaker is calling for an independent investigation into what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SpaceX has adamantly claimed its rocket performed as expected. But on Thursday, a Pentagon spokesperson declined to discuss what happened to the Zuma satellite and instead referred questions to the launch company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rep. Mike Coffman, R-Colo., a member of the House Strategic Forces Subcommittee, is among several lawmakers who say they expect classified briefings on the reported failure of the Zuma satellite and its mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI clearly want to raise it, and I clearly want a third-party investigation to see what happened,\u201d said Coffman. SpaceX \u201chad problems before this where payloads were destroyed at significant taxpayer expense and I think we need to find out why.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2015, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying cargo to the International Space Station for NASA exploded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SpaceX is a politically charged topic at the Capitol, where some lawmakers\u2019 interests align with the upstart aerospace company and others align with United Launch Alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
ULA is a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing that had long held a lucrative monopoly on national security launches until 2015 when the Air Force certified SpaceX to compete for these contracts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Coffman, who made similar calls after a SpaceX mishap on a commercial mission in 2016, represents a congressional district that is home to ULA\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alabama Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, a senior appropriator whose state is home to ULA\u2019s rocket factory in Decatur, also expressed concerns about SpaceX to reporters Wednesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSpaceX has had its share of mishaps \u2014 too many,\u201d Shelby said. \u201cYou generally learn from your mistakes, knock on wood. United Launch [Alliance] has an outstanding record; We\u2019re talking about national security stuff too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked whether the latest imbroglio should raise concerns about SpaceX\u2019s participation in NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program, Shelby said, \u201cYou have to look at their record.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019ve got promise, but at the same time, they\u2019ve had a lot of mishaps,\u201d Shelby said. \u201cIt\u2019d bother me if I were the vendor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SpaceX and Boeing are partners in NASA\u2019s Commercial Crew Program, which aims to revive human spaceflights from Florida.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sen. Bill Nelson, a former astronaut and the top Democrat on the Senate Commerce, Science and Transport Committee, told Bloomberg there is no reason thus far to question SpaceX\u2019s participation in such projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leading members from the House and Senate\u2019s intelligence committees, including Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., also declined to comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Alabama Republican Rep. Mike Rogers, who chairs the House Strategic Forces Subcommittee, said he wants to learn whether the cause of the failure was the launch vehicle or another factor. Northrop Grumman built the satellite for the mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI want competition,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t want SpaceX to go away, I want Blue Origin to get more involved with ULA. That\u2019s healthy for us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Blue Origin is an American privately funded aerospace manufacturer and spaceflight services company set up by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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