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We all know [i]those[/i] Venusians: Doing their hair in shock waves, smoking electrical coronas, wearing Van Allen belts and resting their tiny elbows on a Geiger counter...
--John Sladek (The New Apocrypha)
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Yup have been following the progress of the legislation on the http://www.spacepolitics.com/ site for some time now.
AIAA alert on HR 3752
The AIAA issued a legislative alert to its members on Tuesday
is currently view about. With links to the current language contained in the bill to be signed. There also a monthy achive on this as well.
Some of the past hurdles was the definition between rocket, rocket plus plane, and other such combinations in addition to verticle launch versus taking off from a runway. It also would iron out which federal agency has control over the flight and the rules for certifing the craft to be used.
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More on the safety regulations to come with regards to SpaceShipTwo.
Space Tourism Faces Safety Regulations
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm....ulation
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The concern is that the new language would give the FAA new and, to some elements of the industry's mind, excessive authority, that would alter the notion that most of the risk at this point should be borne by the crew and the spaceflight participant. The Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation already issues suborbital launch licenses. The law also would have allowed customers to fly on those space vehicles, provided that they were fully informed about the risks and signed a consent form. But if you understand the issues and you look at what they really mean, I think a reasonable person would agree that 'fly at your own risk' really does make sense.
Suborbital legislation suddenly sinks
Amended bill said to carry ‘poison pill’ for spaceflight
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6201543/
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Congress Passes Bill Allowing Space Tours
Industry lobbyists contended that space tourists must fly at their own risk, and that more stringent safety regulations would stifle innovation. The bill requires passengers to be informed of the risks involved, and the Federal Aviation Administration may issue regulations to protect the non-flying public's health and property and the country's national security and foreign policy interests.
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