WASHINGTON (Nov. 16, 2021) — The National Transportation Safety Board has proposed codifying its investigative procedures for commercial space accidents and incidents, it announced through a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking published in the Federal Register Tuesday.
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State Sen. Steve Knight
The California State Senate is moving forward with changes to a law that limits the liability of spacecraft operators and their suppliers for any injuries or deaths they cause to participants.
The measure, sponsored by State Sen. Steve Knight (R-Lancaster), would require spacecraft operators to enter into a “reciprocal waiver of claims with its contractors, subcontractors, customers, participants, and contractors and subcontractors of the customers or participants” to hold each other blameless in the event of an incident.
I’ve been taking a look at the FAA’s “Draft Established Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety” document since it was released, and I have to confess it has left me a bit puzzled.
It’s not the content that’s confusing; it’s actually very easy to understand. The problem has been figuring out how to make the material interesting. The document is drier than the Mojave in July.
I finally realized that the most interesting aspects are probably the things the FAA has decided are not established practices to safeguard space travelers. Like pressure suits. And launch escape systems. And defined standards to make sure occupants are healthy enough to fly.
In other words, the very things that have been baked into national space programs for more than 50 years.
Welcome to the NewSpace Age. It sure ain’t your father’s space program.
WASHINGTON, DC (Kevin McCarthy PR) — Congressman Kevin McCarthy today introduced the Suborbital and Orbital Advancement and Regulatory Streamlining (SOARS) Act. The bill will streamline the regulatory process for commercial spacecraft, ensuring that the commercial spaceflight industry can continue to innovate quickly and safely, creating high-quality American jobs in the process.
In addition to a bill that would allow for the closing of Boca Chica Beach for SpaceX launches, three other pieces of space-related legislation are making their way through the Texas Legislature. The bills, all sponsored by State Rep. John Davis (R-Houston), include: HB 545, which would enable municipalities to establish their own spaceport development corporations; HB 1791, which would align space flight activities in Texas with federal regulations; HB […]
FAA Commercial Space Transportation
Advisory Committee Teleconferences
WHEN:
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
1 p.m. EDT
Length: Approximately 1 hour
SUMMARY
The purpose of these three teleconferences is to assist the FAA early in its development of regulations to protect occupants of commercial suborbital and orbital spacecraft. Although the FAA has not yet targeted a date for proposing regulations to protect the health and safety of crew and space flight participants, the FAA believes that the development of sound and appropriate regulations for human space flight can only be achieved with a deliberate, multi-year effort. Moreover, the FAA believes that early industry input into this regulatory effort before any formal proposal by the FAA is critical.
“The FAA’s role is also critical – ensuring safety. We’ve set the safety bar very high and the commercial air transportation industry has met it. We still have room for improvement and I am confident everyone here is ready and willing to do the work….
“The challenge is to find ways to accommodate speed and enable growth, but without sacrificing safety. The FAA is open to innovative approaches and new ways of doing business so we can be responsive to the needs of industry, but we owe it to everyone to do that while still ensuring public safety….
“The FAA will work with other agencies and with industry to accommodate and facilitate growth in commercial space – but we will continue to put safety first. Period.”
— FAA Administrator J. Randolph Babbitt, May 11, 2011
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This week in The Space Review… Space law and the new era of commercial spaceflight As commercial spaceflight, including both suborbital and orbital human flights, become more common, these applications will raise new legal issues. Christopher J. Newman and Ben Middleton discuss some of the issues that space law experts will have to grapple with in the near future. Tough decisions ahead for planetary exploration Last month the planetary science […]
A proposed commercial Russian space station with Soyuz vehicles attached.
Roscosmos Head Anatoly Perminov told media this week that his country’s engineers stand ready to help commercial space tourism and station operators domestically and in the United States make their vehicles safe and reliable.
“Roscosmos does not build space hotels. This is done by different commercial organizations supported by Roscosmos. As experts, we are in position to provide our assistance to the project funded not by the Government, in order to enhance their reliability,” Perminov said.
The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) would get an $11.23 million boost under the President’s proposed FY 2012 budget to enable the agency to oversee the emerging commercial launch market. The budget request also includes a $5 million request for a new Low-Cost Access to Space Incentive program and $1.3 million “to begin development and implementation of safety requirements for commercial human spaceflight.”
