Red Tape For SpaceShipTwo

Spacedaily, Cape Canaveral (UPI) ^ | Apr 26, 2005 | Irene Mona Klotz, Cape Canaveral (UPI)

[tricky_k_1972]

I can understand blocking Dubai from ordering these, who knows what a Islamofascist could do with one of these, but Britan, I don't get it.

[tricky_k_1972]

Space Ping! If you want on or off this list please Freepmail me.

[CasearianDaoist]

Because the EU will get their mitts on it and then it will be in the hands of the folks om Dubai. Bejing too. France will see to it.

That is why.

[KevinDavis]

Leave it to the Government to F*** things up!!

[Arkie2]

More bureaucratic bumbling and red tape getting in the way. It wouldn't surprise me if the feds managed to put a stop to the whole thing.

[Regulator]

who knows what a Islamofascist could do with one of these, but Britan, I don't get it

Might seem that way, but what they are interested in is third party transfers. If you've been to Britain lately, the demography validates this possibility.

Complying with the ITARs is not that difficult. Virtually all U.S. aerospace companies do business with a variety of foreign companies - in France, Russia, Japan, the world. And they do it with a license issued by the Dept. of State.

Just gotta comply.

[Frank_Discussion]

Branson and Rutan ought to talk with TransOrbital - they were the first private space company to get ITAR approval. They launched a dummy testbed of their TrailBlazer spacecraft on a converted Russian ICBM.

[Truth29]

Over regulation of space flight is one of the greatest threats to a commercial space program. After Whitehorn;s testimony and Rutan's comments, I suspect that life will get even more difficult for Virgin Galactic. The US government protects NASA and provides a hostile forum to possible private manned space programs.

[wyattearp]

"If it weren't for fu*$*%g NASA
We'd at least have gone to Mars
And if I can't reach orbit
Then I'll never reach the stars."

[Doe Eyes]

Because the EU will get their mitts on it and then it will be in the hands of the folks om Dubai. Bejing too. France will see to it. That is why.

If the license is for the UK, the technology stays in the UK. Its not for the entire EU. Believe me, the UK gets much more sensitive military data.

[CasearianDaoist]

Spare me the "believe me" nonsense, I have worked in the defense industry for year. I assure you that you do not know any more about this than I do.

There is currently a headed debate in th community about this. The Chinese already have a back door into the EU defense community. The latest pull back on the China arms deal, pushed in great part by British firms like BAE is a witness to the kinds of pressures being brought to bear here. The f-35 may in fact get canceled because of it, THe parceling out of sensitive work to our "allies" is certainly under review.

There is a great deal of axienty about the ongoing trustworthiness of the Labor Party in the DoD community.

Inwould not get too teary-eed about Tony Blair, if I were you: he is a Europe Socialist at haert and is selling out the UK to the Continentals. If he will do that to his own countrymen, what is he will to do to us. If you really believe that France will stick to legal niceties once the Britain is further "integrated" with the EU, then you are dead wrong. In fact they will not even be bond by legal restrictions: Brussels will set defense and foreign policy, not London.

[The_Victor]

The US government protects NASA and provides a hostile forum to possible private manned space programs.

NASA isn't even mentioned in the article. Export control licenses are handled by the State Dept.

[The_Victor]

If the license is for the UK, the technology stays in the UK. Its not for the entire EU. Believe me, the UK gets much more sensitive military data.

Before the license will be granted Rutan will have to demonstrate that the controlled info will remain controlled at the receiving end.

[RightWhale]

The most important step the United States could take to clear the road for private firms to build passenger spaceships is to change its licensing and regulatory oversight

Pigs will fly first.

How about that pesky private property rights in outer space issue? Any progress there? The 1967 UN Outer Space Treaty?

Anything?

Hello?

Is this thing on?

[Truth29]

Do you think government departments don't coordinate with each other? Rutan mentions his problems with the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation. They certainly communicate with and share technical information with NASA.

[RightWhale]

Leave it to the Government to F*** things up!!

Since the subject hasn't come up in the halls of Congress, we ought to assume that silence means nothing is being done to facilitate space travel.

Except for the new regulations, of course. For your safety.

[Southack]

"The problem is U.S. export controls issues -- particularly those that involve the sale or license of technology that could have military applications -- have delayed Virgin Galactic's ability to place a formal order for the spaceships..."

Rutan's sub-orbital civilian spacecraft are already flying higher and faster than the most advanced military fighters in the world.

Rutan has a government contract for an unspecified, possibly orbital version, too. Moreover, the rest of the world isn't standing still. Competing orbital and sub-orbital spacecraft will eventually hit production. Rutan won't have a monopoly forever.

...And it doesn't take a genius to figure out that there are going to be military possibilities for these types of spacecraft.

If you want control of the High Ground, after all, you've got to have a way to get to the High Ground in the first place.

[Southack]

"Since the subject hasn't come up in the halls of Congress, we ought to assume that silence means nothing is being done to facilitate space travel."

The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act (less romantically known as H.R. 5382) ultimately allows average Americans to hitch a ride on a civilian space craft at their own risk. The federal ban on such citizen travel was repealed by HR 5382 in 2004. The President signed that bill into law two days before Christmas.

[The_Victor]

Do you think government departments don't coordinate with each other?

Actually, no they don't. NASA only controls NASA facilities, and they don't tell the FAA how to do their job. Kinda like homeland security prior to 9/11 with the CIA, FBI, and NSA working very separately.

[NoClones]

has the faa 'certified' the shuttle?