The Birth of SpaceShipTwo

Space Daily, UPI ^ | Oct 5, 2004 | Irene Mona Klotz

[tricky_k_1972]

We are go for launch!

[tricky_k_1972]

Space Ping!

[BenLurkin]

ping

[Aeronaut]

[Wolfie]

Space Tourism Faces Safety Regulations (excerpt)

Thursday, October 7, 2004 10:54 AM EDT

The Associated Press

Thrill seekers are plunking down six figures to ride rockets that haven't even been built yet, and a new airline called Virgin Galactic promises to be up and soaring in the next three years. Still, the budding space tourism industry faces a myriad of safety concerns - in the sky and on the ground - that must be resolved before any paying passenger takes off.

The rules that will govern the industry in the United States remain under discussion between federal regulators and rocket developers, and legislation is still before Congress.

The pace of negotiations and the ultimate shape of the regulations could determine whether the sky-high enthusiasm for space tourism - fueled by the historic suborbital flights of SpaceShipOne - grows or wanes, especially among investors.

[Eepsy]

Goodness, I suddenly feel like I'm in the first pages of a Heinlein nove :D

[tricky_k_1972]

If somebody told me a year ago that you could do this, I'd have said they were nuts. Welcome to good old fashioned Yankee ingenuity.

By the way if you haven't seen it yet, they have a video up at the Xprize site that is very good. pay special attention to what Burt Rutan has to say. I think he hates NASA and all the other Government sponsored space programs more than a lot of the people on here do.

http://www.xprize.org/

[Centurion2000]

The rules that will govern the industry in the United States remain under discussion between federal regulators and rocket developers, and legislation is still before Congress.

Let's just keep it in the state of "No Controlling Legal Authority" for a while folks.

[hchutch]

The perfect way to deliver SpaceShipOne to the Air and Space Museum.

It launches, and makes its landing at Dulles Airport.

How is THAT for a delivery? :o)

[King Prout]

almost as a side note, but perhaps a very important one: I am glad to hear that some of the other competitors are still pushing for flight.

I think we have had enough experience with the ((all eggs)one basket) model.

[Poohbah]

DHS and the FAA would have a joint hissy-fit.

[DoughtyOne]

Leave it to the government to throw a wet blanket on this.

I do expect regulations, but this sounds over the top by description.

Space is once again getting the attention it should, and the poor old government space boys can't stand that they are all but being ignored.

Here's to an end run on something NASA should have done thirty years ago.

[tricky_k_1972]

Exactly, and the way to do that is keep the competition going. The Xprise group has already planed for future prizes and there is yet another group forming for a 50 mil prize for an orbital flight with docking.

[hchutch]

So, let DHS and FAA have a fit. What're they gonna do, de-certify a plane that will just be sitting in the Annex?

[Poohbah]

So, let DHS and FAA have a fit. What're they gonna do, de-certify a plane that will just be sitting in the Annex?

No, they'd probably engage it with a Patriot as it came through re-entry.

[hchutch]

Spoilsports. They won't even allow for a spectacular delivery to the Air and Space Museum...

Suppose they filed a flight plan?

[Junior]

Now, we just have to get the big airlines and aerospace companies involved in designing and building spaceplanes. I know it sounds sacreligious, but once Boeing and Lockheed start turning out spaceplanes and Delta and American begin flying them, the prices will come down considerably and there will be a permanent commercial presence, at least in low orbit.

[Brett66]

The senate is passing a bill to regulate this, it was a good bill until some last minute revisions were made to it, not it's a bill that could kill the sub-orbital biz, at least in America. The bill is HR 3752, they want to impose the safety of the crew and passengers on equal footing with the safety of the uninvolved public. The bill originally categorized passenger sub-orbital flight with the same liability as sky diving. Please contact your senators and tell them not to pass this. More details about this:

Transterrestrial

[UCANSEE2]

Kind of like the RS-71 Blackbird did?