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NOAA Just Prevented SpaceX From Showing its Rocket in Orbit

posted by Fnord666 on Saturday March 31 2018, @04:29PM   
from the no-views-for-you dept.

"exec" writes:

Arthur T Knackerbracket has found the following story:

On Friday morning, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket into space and later deployed 10 Iridium communications satellites into low-Earth orbit as planned. But unexpectedly for most watching, the company's webcast was precluded from showing the mission in its entirety.

At T+ 9:00 minutes, just two seconds before the rocket's second-stage engine cut off from firing, the video from space ended. The launch commentator, SpaceX engineer Michael Hammersley, explained earlier in the broadcast that "[d]ue to some restrictions from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, SpaceX will be intentionally ending live video coverage of the 2nd stage just prior to engine shutdown."

Asked about this on Friday morning, a NOAA spokesman was not aware of the situation. "I can only think it's an error," Chris Vaccaro told Ars. "I would double check with them (SpaceX)." NOAA has promised more information will be forthcoming. (4:45pm ET Update: NOAA released this statement).

We did double check with SpaceX. It was definitely an issue with NOAA, the rocket company said. Apparently NOAA recently asserted that cameras on the second stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which SpaceX uses for engineering purposes, qualify as a remote sensing system, which are subject to NOAA's regulation. A provisional license obtained by SpaceX for Friday's launch of the Iridium-5 mission required it to end views once the second stage reached orbit.

-- submitted from IRC

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Original Submission

• Because: space is not for circus stunts... Because: space is not for circus stunts... (Score: 3, Interesting) by JoeMerchant on Saturday March 31 2018, @04:36PM (2 children)

  by JoeMerchant (3937) on Saturday March 31 2018, @04:36PM (#660876)

  Lots of suggestion out there that this is pushback for the Tesla photos...

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• Wow. Gatekeepers even for fucking space. (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 31 2018, @04:52PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 31 2018, @04:52PM (#660879)

  Is there no end to the scope of an authoritarian's ego?

  Parent

• likely culprit: United Launch Alliance (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 31 2018, @09:11PM

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday March 31 2018, @09:11PM (#660944)

  NOAA doesn't care. Trump likes the stunts and the photos. There isn't going to be any pushback from the government on this one.

  Government is supposed to follow the law however, and the cameras technically qualify. Hmmm, who would point that out? There are only a few possible culprits here, and the most obvious one is United Launch Alliance. It could be Blue Origin, Orbital ATK, or any of the other minor players... but seriously it's United Launch Alliance.

  Parent