--- title: "NASA Orders Press Not to Photograph Launch Site After Moon Mission Takes Off" description: "NASA apparently barred the press from photographing the Artemis moon rocket launch when it lifted its Orion capsule off to space earlier this week. " date: "2022-11-18" modified: "2022-11-18" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasa-press-no-photos-artemis" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "artemis" - "NASA" - "sls" - "the digest" --- # NASA Orders Press Not to Photograph Launch Site After Moon Mission Takes Off ![NASA apparently barred the press from photographing the Artemis moon rocket launch when it lifted its Orion capsule off to space earlier this week. ]() *CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 16: NASA’s Artemis I Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, with the Orion capsule attached, launches at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on November 16, 2022 in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Artemis I mission will send the uncrewed spacecraft around the moon to test the vehicle's propulsion, navigation and power systems as a precursor to later crewed mission to the lunar surface. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## No Photos, Please NASA barred the press from photographing the launch site of its Space Launch System after [it boosted the agency's]()[ Artemis I Moon mission]() into space earlier this week. Multiple space reporters said on Twitter that the agency had sent them a message telling them they were prohibited from photographing the Artemis 1 launch tower after the liftoff. "NASA did not provide a reason," Eric Berger, *Ars Technica*'s senior space editor, [tweeted](). The reporter added that according to his sources, the ban was apparently an attempt to save face after the launch damaged the tower. "So now sources are saying that yes, Launch Complex-39B tower was damaged during the Artemis I launch on Wednesday morning," [Berger tweeted](). "Basically, there were leaks and damage where there weren't supposed to be leaks and damage." ## Damaging Reports Later, *Washington Post* space reporter [Christian Davenport posted a statement]() from NASA that seemed to corroborate Berger's sources, though he emphasized that there was "no word on damage" to the launch pad. "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," the statement given to Davenport read. "There also is a launch debris around the pad as anticipated, and the team is currently assessing." Whatever NASA's reasoning, it's pretty clear that the agency doesn't want unapproved photos of its [expensive and overdue]() Space Launch System rocket going out to the public. NASA loves positive publicity, it seems — but not negative. **More on the Artemis 1 launch:** [*NASA Says It's Fine That Some Pieces May Have Fallen Off Its Moon Rocket During Launch*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()