SpaceX's rocket videos are technically against the law. The US government just noticed.

[Eugene]

Source: Quartz

SpaceX’s rocket videos are technically against the law. The US government just noticed.

WRITTEN BY
Tim Fernholz
OBSESSION
Space Business
2 hours ago

Since 2010, millions of space fans have devoured video shot from SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket—but not the US government agency charged with regulating videos shot from space.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) licenses surveillance systems launched into space by Americans. An agency spokesperson explained to Quartz that the agency had “only recently” noticed the immensely popular space videos broadcast by SpaceX for the past eight years. Other companies like United Launch Alliance, Orbital ATK, and Rocket Lab have published similar footage.

The rocket-makers did not seek licenses for their broadcasts because they didn’t consider their vehicles, which operate in orbit for just hours before being abandoned, in the same category as dedicated earth-imaging satellites launched by companies like Planet or DigitalGlobe.

Sometime this year, NOAA decided that SpaceX’s short-lived second-stage rocket required the same licenses as satellite platforms intended to orbit the earth for years, and instructed the company that it needed a license to share imagery from any launches not flown for government clients.

-snip-

Read more: https://qz.com/1247981/noaa-didnt-notice-years-of-illegal-spacex-falcon-9-video/

[procon]

1. Wait... what are they saying? The government owns "space" and can control the use

of images via licensing fees?

[Eugene]

2. The government regulates communications satellites.

NOAA now says these launches are covered.

It also regulates telecommunications in general. They also got upset about a constellation of rogue satellites that were launched recently.