NASA now has designs on understanding deep space, which is why the US space agency built the Space Launch System – a first rocket capable of fulfilling future manned missions. With its unprecedented power and capabilities, SLS is currently the only rocket capable of carrying astronauts to Mars. But conspiracy theorists have accused NASA of a cover-up, after the agency released heavily redacted photos of its cutting-edge SLS spacecraft.
The SLS photographs have triggered speculation about the reason why significant portions of the rocket’s body has been blurred in all the images.
The strange censorship was first spotted by the independent NASA Watch news website.
Debuting the blurred images, NASA Watch tweeted: “Look at this @NASA picture of the @NASA_SLS Intertank.
“On the left you can see cables. But in these other @NASA photos that specific region is blurred. Why?”
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Experts commonly account for the blurring by NASA attempting to hide top secret technology from its growing rivals, from SpaceX to Blue Orgin.
NASA could also be trying to conceal controversial rocket features, such as military technology.
Or – less excitingly – the space agency may simply wish to keep the name of the rocket a secret for now.
A NASA spokesperson said: “Before NASA images of Space Launch System hardware under development are released to the media or on NASA web or social sites, the images are reviewed by both NASA and Boeing export control representatives to ensure they do not contain sensitive data.
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“In some cases, the export control representative will allow release of the image, if certain sensitive hardware features are blurred.
“A NASA public affairs officer also reviews the images before they are released.”
The space agency went on to say that blurring the SLS images is standard procedure cleared by NASA.
NASA added: “Some export controlled features were blurred in these images made by NASA photographers so that images of this milestone could be released.
“As hardware is completed, it becomes more sensitive in nature.
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“NASA export control officers are taking another look at these images to determine whether they contain sensitive material or was it so early in development that the feature shown was not sensitive.”
SLS is designed for deep space missions and will send Orion or other cargo to the Moon, which is nearly 1,000 times farther than where the space station resides in low-Earth orbit.
SLS will provide the power to help Orion reach a speed of at least 24,500 mph needed to break out of low-Earth orbit and travel to the Moon.
That is about 7,000 mph faster than the space station travels around Earth.
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