House Passes Legislation Setting Space Tourism Guidelines

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Out-of-this-world vacations moved a step closer to reality Thursday with House passage of legislation setting guidelines for the future space tourism industry.

Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y., chairman of the House Science Committee, said that while he first thought the legislation was "a little flighty," he came to realize that "this is about a lot more than joy rides in space. This is about the future of the U.S. aerospace industry."

Laws already exist to regulate private sector space endeavors such as satellite launches, but there is no legal jurisdiction for regulating commercial human spaceflight.

American businessman Dennis Tito in 2001 became the world's first space tourist when he rode a Russian rocket to the international space station. He was followed last year by South African Internet magnate Mark Shuttleworth, who -- like Tito -- paid the Russians $20 million for the ride.

The House bill, which passed 402-1, gives regulatory authority over human flight to the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation.

To make it easier for companies to test new types of reusable suborbital rockets, the bill gives the office the authority to issue experimental permits that can be obtained more quickly and with less bureaucracy than licenses.

It also requires the Office of Commercial Space Transportation to come up with regulations for crew pertaining to training and medical conditions. Space tourists would have to be informed of the risks involved in their travel.

The bill also extends for three years an existing law under which commercial space launch companies are required to carry liability insurance, capped at $500 million, with assurances that the government will compensate for losses above that.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Calif., chairman of the Science Committee's space panel and sponsor of the bill, said encouraging private entrepreneurs to develop new space travel technology would have spinoffs for the Pentagon. "Our great space entrepreneurs," he said, "are going to be developing aerospace technologies that can be put into our national security."

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. The one dissenting vote was Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas


www.space.com...

I have been watching this for a long time, as many small aerospace companies want a path to the stars. Opening this up we can finally get NON government agency's to show us what is on the moon or mar's without the tampering of color or hiding of objects. A doorway is now open to allow US a chance to see what is out there.

Michael

[Edited on 14-3-2004 by Ark-Angel]

Originally posted by Ark-Angel
I have been watching this for a long time, as many small aerospace companies want a path to the stars. Opening this up we can finally get NON government agency's to show us what is on the moon or mar's without the tampering of color or hiding of objects. A doorway is now open to allow US a chance to see what is out there.

Michael

Not to rain on the parade,
�but this means the door just got slammed shut.
Regulatory predators will set private development back for at least a decade.

They will also ensure that anyone who succeeds
�is limited to being from the 'beltway business club'.
No stray cats allowed.

For a idea of how it will be carried out,
�read up on what happened to Burnelli

I would like to visit some moons and such. Play games that you could only play on other solar bodies with different gravity etc.. I saw a special on the science channel about space game sor something. I believe on one of Jupiters moons, you could pick up a 9000 pound boulder or soemthing with no problem. heh.

Originally posted by Teknik

Originally posted by Ark-Angel
I have been watching this for a long time, as many small aerospace companies want a path to the stars. Opening this up we can finally get NON government agency's to show us what is on the moon or mar's without the tampering of color or hiding of objects. A doorway is now open to allow US a chance to see what is out there.



Michael

Not to rain on the parade,
�but this means the door just got slammed shut.
Regulatory predators will set private development back for at least a decade.

They will also ensure that anyone who succeeds
�is limited to being from the 'beltway business club'.
No stray cats allowed.

For a idea of how it will be carried out,
�read up on what happened to Burnelli

Understood check out this link:

www.space-frontier.org...

Michael

Free enterprise is the only hope we have for a true exploraition and settlement of the solar system.

[tongue in cheek]But, what are we going to do about the tourists visiting here?[/tongue in cheek]

Originally posted by HowardRoark
[tongue in cheek]But, what are we going to do about the tourists visiting here?[/tongue in cheek]

Perhaps charging them we can finally pay for a full crew for the ISS

Michael