Originally posted by Seekerof
The government won't control it, per se', but what it may or will more than likely do is regulate it. Privatizing is always a good thing and in the case of space flight, definitely a good thing.

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What kind of regulation could they impose?? The only way they could regulate it is to stop the companies from launching, once they get into space there's no way to regulate it. I could see the government saying that such and such part of space is off limits and if you go past the boundaries then you can no longer launch. That seems like an empty threat to me. I mean, if someone wanted to see what was so secret in those boundaries it would only take one launch to check it out and then the secret would be out. I dont think thats a good way for the government to regulate it.




[edit on 6-10-2004 by shoafy]

Surely the US government etc couldn't regulate or stop it. The only thing they could regulate/stop is the launching from US soil of the said space flights. One thing that does raise a question though is.......
Countries that have a coastline as a border have a 'right' over the local sea/ocean, beyond which it becomes international waters. How far up into the atmosphere and beyond does any government have the right to call its own before it becomes international or for common use? Surely once you get XX miles above the Earth in orbit you can go where you choose?

They will regulate space flight the same way they do commercial flight, in the only way that matters to corporations. Money.
You fly into a restricted area, 10 million dollar fine.
You take off before your launch window, 10 million dollar fine.
Don't forget those who make private space flight possible are doing so for one reason, to make a profit. All the government has to do to control spaceflight is ensure the penalties for violating regulatons will threaten that profit.

like proof that the government is up to no good in space would be worthless?? that sort of proof would be worth alot...and then after the proof is made public, no way they will be able to shut down whoever got said proof

You really think that proof would be worth a dollar value?
How much of a budget do you think the news media have?
Do you have any idea what the expenses for spaceflight are?
Lets say you had prrof there was an alien mothership in orbit, How much in terms of dollars do you really think you could get for it?