SpaceX Iridium-5 Launch Webcast *NOAA Cut the Webcast Short!

You can see the first stage is still sooty from its first flight; SpaceX no longer cleans off previously flown cores between flights. The launch window is instantaneous at 14:13 UT, 10:13 eastern time.

The guy said at the start they are banned from broadcasting live images from orbit. Why is that?

Worried they might spot a military satellite with secret nukes on it?

Gee, for what he is paying you’d think he could get somebody to wash it.
Watch, in a few years they will discontinue the food and drink service and start charging you for carry on baggage.

I bet you the restriction came from the NOAA Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office. There must be something that the second stage camera might see looking back at earth on this particular launch that the government doesn't want the public to see... How odd...

They used to clean them off, but it's unnecessary. SpaceX is all about reducing the cost of getting to orbit with these reusable boosters. They're already cheaper than any other orbital launch provider.

Last Edited by Astromut on 03/30/2018 10:08 AM

T minus 1 minute!

I hope the spacemen make it back safely to earth after their mission.

First stage did its job, now it will practice a landing into the ocean, but the recovery ship is not there.

Awesome launch! Well done!!

They're launching Iridium communications satellites, there's no one on board.

Vandy ground camera tracking was shaky as shit this morning though.

Could this have anything to do with the possible trajectory of the falling Chinese satellite? I know space is vast, but i'd be concerned launching anything up while an "untraceable" satellite is coming down within the next 48 hours.

for awesome video feed!

Well, we aren’t picking up any arcturian poontang in a dirty chariot...

Low cost is not my biggest concern when it comes to space travel.
Soot can mask problems.

This is destined to be a spectacular failure at some point, with the purpose of making us stop reaching. Cool show for now, but this only ends one way.

Of all the things you could have come up with that was it?!!!!

Yeah, heard him say "restrictions imposed by NOAA". What are they hiding?

They cut it off over Antarctica!

Why does NOAA make them stop their live vid coverage?

No, I seriously doubt it. The number of possible reasons is also vast, but that is one of the least likely I could think of. NOAA is responsible for restricting commercial companies from taking pictures of anything classified from space. That includes anything that the government considers important for national security. It could be a secret base, or some other US government mission that the second stage might accidentally spot. Very curious, but trying to tie it to other current events is unlikely to yield the correct answer.

.c.c

Is this an oop's ???

Last Edited by Jumpin Jack on 03/30/2018 10:30 AM

Many may not know this, but NOAA is tasked with restricting commercial operators from taking images from space of things that the government considers to be matters of national security. You might think it would come from the Air Force or the DoD, but no, it comes from the NOAA Commercial Remote Sensing Regulatory Affairs Office.

"Who is Required to Apply for a License?
It is unlawful for any person who is subject to the jurisdiction or control of the United States, directly or through any subsidiary or affiliate to operate a private remote sensing space system without possession of a valid license issued under the Act and the regulations."
[link to www.nesdis.noaa.gov (secure)]

For some reason, they apparently wouldn't give SpaceX a license for their second stage rocket for this mission, or the license they gave cut off near or past the second stage cutoff.

NOAA's PR arm is apparently just as confused as the rest of us, at least that's what they're publicly saying. Eric Berger has been very reliable for info in the past.
[link to twitter.com (secure)]

Personally I still think it came down from NOAA's CRSRA office and whatever it is, it's classified to the point that their PR office isn't privy to it.

Bet ET's don't care about NOAA's aothority

Interestinger and Interestinger...
[link to www.nesdis.noaa.gov (secure)]
This is the ONLY SpaceX CRSRA license I can find anywhere. It concerns some small satellites they put into orbit as prototypes for their planned space-based internet network. I wonder if SpaceX just never asked for a license for their second stage cameras before and NOAA is only now coming down on them for not having a license for showing video late in the launch when the vehicle is at or above orbital velocity. The timing of the cutoff seems to me to suggest they were mandated to shut it off at the moment the perigee distance was such that the vehicle was technically already in orbit. A few seconds later they cut off the second stage at the intended orbit for the satellites' parking orbit. If this happens again during the next SpaceX launch then I think my theory will be confirmed.

Last Edited by Astromut on 03/30/2018 10:46 AM

fake launch.. and NOAA just running out of budget.. that's why..

Not starting to question, but my husband did see the feed loop (repeat)twice. Could have been done to make it seem longer since they had to cut it for whatever reason.

This wasn't a launch for NOAA, and no, there's nothing to suggest it's fake.

BAHAHAHA! The fairing recovery vessel, Mr. Steven, has a "destination" according to this marine tracking site set to "YOUR MOMSHOUSE"
[link to www.marinetraffic.com (secure)]

Yeah, something is fishy.

To fuel flat earth theory