Elon Musk's SpaceX is set to once again launch its mysterious Zuma mission Jan. 5, after it was pushed back last November.
The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that SpaceX will be launching the highly confidential Zuma satellite, which will enter into a low orbit around Earth.
According to reports, the satellite will be used by a certain U.S. organization to send messages and take photos. But as to who will man it and for what purpose it will serve, those information still remain a secret.
The satellite will be launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 from the private company's recently renovated pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Friday, Jan. 5, between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.
That is a move from the nearby NASA-owned Kennedy Space Center, where the launch was originally planned in November. It was postponed to allow SpaceX to analyze data from a previous launch.
The Zuma mission was first revealed to the public in October, when NASA reported that SpaceX has requested authorization for the mysterious "Mission 1390." While this would not be the first time for SpaceX to launch a mission to space, with some also being confidential, this is the first time that even its client is unknown.
Among the few concrete details, however, is the launch's contractor, Northrop Grumman, who was selected by the U.S. government to find a rocket for the launch, hence the use of Falcon 9.
"Northrop Grumman realizes that this is monumental responsibility and have taken great care to ensure the most affordable and lowest risk scenario for Zuma," Lon Rains, communications director for Northrop Grumman's Space Systems Division, said in an official statement.
It is a big month for Musk's space exploration company. Apart from the Zuma mission this week, SpaceX is set to attempt a first launch for its Falcon Heavy rocket by the end of January, with a hold-down test fire scheduled next week.
