Free Republic

XCOR Aerospace thanked and congratulated President Bush on signing HR 5382, "The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004," into law today. This important bipartisan legislation updates the Commercial Space Launch Act and puts commercial human space flight on a clear legal foundation. The bill also takes other important steps to improve the regulatory environment and reduce investor uncertainty facing this new industry. HR 5382 will help harness the power of private enterprise to the task of making space travel affordable for all of us. "Ultimately, we must give credit to the elected officials who put their reputations on the...

By ERICA WERNER, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - Outer space could become the final frontier of tourism under legislation passed Wednesday by the Senate to regulate commercial human spaceflight. The bill, approved by voice vote in the final minutes of the 108th Congress, would authorize the Federal Aviation Administration to issue permits allowing private spacecraft operators to blast paying passengers into space. The agency would also regulate the young industry, which was invigorated by the successful flights of a privately financed manned rocket over California's Mojave Desert in October. While laws exist to regulate private-sector space endeavors such as satellite...

WASHINGTON - Paying passengers would be able to blast into space aboard privately operated rocket ships under legislation the House passed Saturday. Propelled by last month's successful flights of a privately financed manned rocket over California's Mojave Desert, the bill by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (news, bio, voting record), R-Calif., would give the Federal Aviation Administration (news - web sites) authority to regulate commercial human spaceflight. No such jurisdiction now exists, even though airline mogul Richard Branson has already announced plans to offer six-figure commercial space flights by 2007, and thrill-seekers have begun plunking down deposits. The bill was passed by...