Hyperdrive
Trump Is Cutting the Red Tape in Space
Decades-old rules were slowing an industry ready for liftoff.
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A Falcon 9 rocket lifted off perfectly from pad 4E at Vandenberg Air Force Base on March 30, carrying aloft satellites for Iridium Communications Inc. Video from the vehicle flipped on 2 minutes and 35 seconds later, just in time for webcast viewers to witness the first stage falling to Earth and the second stage light up. “That’s gorgeous,” said Michael Hammersely, the SpaceX narrator.
The rocket was 90 miles high and the Earth’s curvature was coming into focus when Hammersley delivered a buzzkill: “A quick reminder,” he said. Video will be cut “due to restrictions placed on us by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” The reason? Paperwork.