FAA space passenger travel guidelines
Published on Dec 19, 2006 at 9:36 am.
2 Comments.
Filed under space businesses, travel.
Well, according to a published report, the Federal Aviation Administration has finally gotten around to setting rules for passenger space travel. Private space flight has become a reality. For a number of years, private companies have been in the business of launching rockets with unmanned payloads. But generally, people are treated differently than cargo in rules and regulations. With Virgin Galactic set to start flying paying passengers into space in just a few years, the government has been in a quandary as to how to best regulate this fledglilng industry best to insure passenger safety without imposing an undue burden on the new startup companies. After all, if Orville and Wilber Wright, and the other founders of modern aviation had to work around the current FAA regulations, we’d still be waiting for the first manned aircraft flight.
So, under these rules, these companies offering passenger service into space have to meet similar testing requirements to those other experimental aircraft. The FAA mandates certain training and medical requirements of the flight crew, and the passengers must have at least some basic training, themselves. No limitations are imposed on who can be a passenger, and the companies offering space flights are not required to certify that their flights are absolutely safe. Passengers, though, must be informed in writing that they are undertaking a risky venture, and that death might result if anything were to go wrong. Companies offering spaceflight are required to be insured, as well.
At present, the FAA guidelines are fairly loose, which is good for the startup companies. They are not required to be safe, but the reality is that there is financial incentive for the companies to be as safe as reasonably possible. After all, the spacecraft are expensive, and losing one could put your company on the verge of going bankrupt. Worse, if you lose a spacecraft, nobody would likely want to buy tickets from you again — not if there are other operators out there with an unblemished safety record. The FAA has been given authority to begin more stringent regulations of the space tourism business in eight years, or earlier if serious accidents were to occur.
Obviously there needs to be some sort of accountability for the safety of passengers and crew in private space enterprise. But, I rather think that this mostly hands off approach is likely to be a good idea. People should realize that space travel is dangerous, and that accidents are likely to occur. The passengers paying to fly into space should know that this is a risky business — it isn’t like buying an airplane ticket. And the companies flying those passengers should work to make the flights as safe as possible. But, with the current level of technology, it will never be perfectly safe. But, unless we get private money into space travel, the technology is not likely to get better very quickly. So, I am glad to see such reasonable rules.
-Astroprof
Regcure on May 16, 2008 at 7:45 am: 1
I been wondering about space travel but it feels scary to fly out of the world. It would be great if they do the flights more safety. More people will consider to travel I think. Interesting article by the way.
Home Based Internet Business Opportunity on June 2, 2008 at 7:20 am: 2
Hi,
Thanks for the very interesting blog, I enjoyed reading it. Especially now with the new mars exploration under way.
All the best