
NOAA tells SpaceX to turn off the camera 9 minutes into Iridium Next launch - ChuckMcM
https://arstechnica.com/science/2018/03/spacex-launches-a-rocket-but-noaa-prevented-some-of-it-from-being-shown/
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ChuckMcM
This was the most interesting statement for me in this blurb. -- _" These NOAA
regulations were enacted to prevent individuals from launching and flying
their own personal spy satellites in space. However, as astrophysicist
Jonathan McDowell pointed out on Twitter, it is not clear what national
security rationale there is for controlling cameras on the second stage of
SpaceX rockets."_

I asked in this comment
([https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16555617](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16555617))
what happens when someone sends up a cubesat that turns out to be a "spy
satellite." Apparently NOAA has a regulation for that. Apparently buried in
this web site
([https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/CRSRA/](https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/CRSRA/))
which includes _" Balance commercial viability of private Earth remote sensing
space systems and sound regulatory practices and policies while protecting
national security, foreign policy and international obligations."_

So I guess they would come after you if you put up a cubesat that you could
point in any direction and take pictures and send them back to Earth.

