Below is a copy of a letter that Space Adventures has submitted to Space Adventures submitted to Chairman Ralph Hall and the other members of the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology in response to yesterday’s hearing on commercial spaceflight.

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October 26, 2011

Honorable Ralph Hall
Chairman
House Committee on Science, Space & Technology
2405 Rayburn H.O.B. Washington, DC 20515-0001

Dear Chairman Hall:

I am the Chairman and Co-Founder of Space Adventures, Ltd., the world’s leading space experience provider. Our company has sold all eight spaceflight missions to the seven private space explorers who have visited the International Space Station aboard the Russian Soyuz spacecraft over the past decade. We are also proud to be partnered with Boeing Space Exploration as a member of their Commercial Crew Development team.

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An interesting report in the Las Cruces Sun-News:

[NMSA Exectutive Director Christine] Anderson said two companies – including rocket maker Sierra Nevada Corp. – visited Las Cruces last week for a spaceflight symposium and were eying New Mexico as a place to locate. But there was a caveat.

“They said: ‘Unless you pass that (legislation) in January, we’re not going to go there,'” she said.

The legislation in question would limit the ability of people to sue spacecraft equipment and parts suppliers for injuries or deaths except in cases of gross negligence or intentional acts.

Spaceport America would certainly be ideal for Dream Chaser drop tests that will be done from Virgin Galactic’s WhiteKnightTwo. Virgin Galactic will operate as anchor tenant at the $209 million desert spaceport.

However, I’m wondering if there’s not more to it.

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The Las Cruces Sun-News reports on a crucial effort to expand New Mexico’s limited liability law for commercial spaceflights: Spaceport America’s future hinges upon a proposed change in the law being pitched for next year’s Legislature, spaceport officials contended Tuesday. The measure would limit legal liability for companies supplying parts for spaceflight equipment and vehicles, said New Mexico Spaceport Authority executive director Christine Anderson. The bill would prevent passengers of […]

RANCHO CORDOVA, Calif. (JP Aerospace PR) — On Saturday morning, October 22, 2011, The Tandem airship was launched from Nevada’s Black Rock desert. The airship flew to 95,085 feet, higher than any airship in history.

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Diego's impression of Sasha working on the surface during our 'Marswalk' Credits: ESA / Mars500

Mars500: Earth approaching!

Diego Urbina gets philosophical in his most recent diary from the Mars500 modules, just shy of 520 days in isolation. From Sasha’s birthday to the importance of the arts on space missions, Diego covers both with a skillful drawing and touching text.

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13 October 2011.

It’s early morning in the spaceship modules. Of course, there is no way to tell it is morning except by the sounds of the other guys’ blood pressure machines making that noise: ‘Brrrrrrr’. The pressure is read aloud by a female voice in the machine, telling you how healthy you are. Blood pressure can go up with stress, salt consumption and many other kinds of things. No stress today: it’s almost day 500 out of 520, and if your blood pressure or heart rate is exceptionally high, it’s surely not stress: it would have to be your heart keen to land on Earth.

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Spaceport Sweden PR — Spaceport Sweden has collaborated with the ICEHOTEL, Kiruna Airport and Scandinavian Airlink to launch an exclusive space tourism experience that will allow clients to get an even closer look at the magical and  mythical northern lights.

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South Korean and Russian engineers remain at odds over what caused the Naro-1 rocket to fail just 137 seconds after liftoff on June 10, 2010, according to an Oct. 20 report from the Yonhap news agency. The booster, which includes a Russian first stage and South Korean second stage, lifted off safely from the Naro Space Center but failed in flight. South Korea and Russia failed to agree on the […]

Ukraine Space Agency PR — The project “Cyclone-4 – Alcantara” is on schedule, the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych said in an interview with Ukrainian media in Sao Paulo. “We now go on to the updated schedule, which developed in the last year,” said Victor Yushchenko. He added that the delay in project implementation has been linked to funding problems, press services report. The head of state called the project […]

In case you are wondering what Charlie Bolden is up to these days (and I know you are), the NASA chief is on a four-nation outreach visit to Latin America this week that is taking him to Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Costa Rica.  The trip is apparently a follow-up to an earlier visit to the region by President Barack Obama, according to press reports. On Monday, Bolden met with Chilean […]

CSF PR — Washington, D.C., Wednesday, October 26, 2011 – Officials with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation (CSF) today announced that the Federation has partnered with Griffin Communications Group to help increase awareness of the benefits and importance of commercial spaceflight among the public, media, government and other stakeholders.  As part of the partnership, Griffin Communications Group has joined the CSF as an Associate Member.

Griffin Communications Group will provide ongoing expertise to put “best practice” communications tools and processes in place to better serve the mission of the Federation and its members.

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