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NASA orders press not to photograph launch site after moon mission takes off

28 points by perihelions 4y ago

perihelions 4y ago
- "the ban was apparently an attempt to save face after the launch damaged the tower"
- rocket_surgeron 4y ago
  Every single Space Shuttle launch damaged the launch tower, in some manner. Here's an old article about the post-launch inspection team used after shuttle launches. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/postlaunchinspectteam.html https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/post... Because of the "energetic" nature of space launches, damage of some kind is to be expected when they occur. Sometimes the damage is minimal. Scorched and bent metal bits that can be painted and bent back into place. Sometimes there is FOD which gets blasted around and punctures things. Sometimes protective equipment doesn't work and hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage is done. Sometimes there is total failure of the physical infrastructure which requires millions in repairs. Here is damage on the more expensive end of the spectrum: https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts124/080601pad/damage.html https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts124/080601pad/dama... Here is a partial archive of space shuttle damage/debris reports: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/foia/ksc_debris.html https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/foia/ksc_debris.h... Fun fact, sometimes like, every handrail on the tower gets blown away so welders have to go up and reweld everything after a launch before people can go up. Also, depending on the recent weather massive fires start around the launch site and firetrucks have to race to put them out. SLS is like the shuttle but bigger, when it comes to damage. It's unavoidable and they're not hiding anything. They probably don't want people taking pictures of some of the neato highly specialized hyper spectral cameras they've got. Edit: honestly, if your rocket doesn't smash up the launch pad as it ascends, I'm not really interested in it.
- europeanguy 4y ago
  Another example of when you say "nothing to see here" everyone goes "wait there's something to see here?" If they hadn't said anything no one would be talking about it except for some really niche space aficionados.
robotresearcher 4y ago
The official reason stated in the article: "Because of the current state of the configuration, there are [International Traffic in Arms Regulations license] restrictions and photos are not permitted at this time" So it may or may not be related to damage, but there may be ITAR controlled tech visible. They are obliged by law to not leak that tech.
- iwillbenice 4y ago
stevespang 4y ago
veggeta 4y ago
aaron695 4y ago
TheDesolate0 4y ago

28 points by perihelions 4y ago

perihelions 4y ago

- "the ban was apparently an attempt to save face after the launch damaged the tower"

rocket_surgeron 4y ago
Every single Space Shuttle launch damaged the launch tower, in some manner. Here's an old article about the post-launch inspection team used after shuttle launches. https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/postlaunchinspectteam.html https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/behindscenes/post... Because of the "energetic" nature of space launches, damage of some kind is to be expected when they occur. Sometimes the damage is minimal. Scorched and bent metal bits that can be painted and bent back into place. Sometimes there is FOD which gets blasted around and punctures things. Sometimes protective equipment doesn't work and hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage is done. Sometimes there is total failure of the physical infrastructure which requires millions in repairs. Here is damage on the more expensive end of the spectrum: https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts124/080601pad/damage.html https://www.spaceflightnow.com/shuttle/sts124/080601pad/dama... Here is a partial archive of space shuttle damage/debris reports: https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/foia/ksc_debris.html https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/about/foia/ksc_debris.h... Fun fact, sometimes like, every handrail on the tower gets blown away so welders have to go up and reweld everything after a launch before people can go up. Also, depending on the recent weather massive fires start around the launch site and firetrucks have to race to put them out. SLS is like the shuttle but bigger, when it comes to damage. It's unavoidable and they're not hiding anything. They probably don't want people taking pictures of some of the neato highly specialized hyper spectral cameras they've got. Edit: honestly, if your rocket doesn't smash up the launch pad as it ascends, I'm not really interested in it.
europeanguy 4y ago
Another example of when you say "nothing to see here" everyone goes "wait there's something to see here?" If they hadn't said anything no one would be talking about it except for some really niche space aficionados.

robotresearcher 4y ago

The official reason stated in the article: "Because of the current state of the configuration, there are [International Traffic in Arms Regulations license] restrictions and photos are not permitted at this time" So it may or may not be related to damage, but there may be ITAR controlled tech visible. They are obliged by law to not leak that tech.

iwillbenice 4y ago

stevespang 4y ago

veggeta 4y ago

aaron695 4y ago

TheDesolate0 4y ago