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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.
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(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday April 01 2018, @02:13PM
"SpaceX applied and received a license from NOAA that included conditions on their capability to live-stream from space. Conditions on Earth imaging to protect national security are common to all licenses for launches with on-orbit capabilities. "
The fact that a license is required for sensing in orbit is on Congress.
The fact that a license restricts this operation during sat deployment is on NOAA.
NOAA's statement does not say why, only what they did and that they can and often do.
It seems unlikely to me that the cameras would have compromised anything on Earth.
That leaves something in space.
Perhaps there is something about deploying the sats which is sensitive?
Perhaps there was another vehicle nearby which somebody doesn't want showm?
Perhaps NOAA is just flexing their CYA muscles?
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/CRSRA/licenseHome.html [noaa.gov]
http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/noaa-statement-on-todays-broadcast-of-spacex-iridium-5-launch [noaa.gov]