I think he is exactly criticising them for not following agile methods - it's the basis of his criticism for following the waterfall method. His criticizm for not changing their plans is pt 3 (which I agree with)

And on your last point, using Iridium as an 'example' is like criticizing Middle Age 'surgeons' for not using antiseptic to ensure the success of their operations. You'd be right, but it's hardly a valuable observation nor provide much insight into how to avoid an equivalent situation today (where you are lacking knowledge/tools/technology).