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FAA Space Tourism Guidelines Draft Published

Posted by CowboyNeal on from the bad-inflight-movies dept.

An anonymous reader writes "...All 123 pages of it. Public comment period runs thorough February 27th, so if you're thinking of joining the latest class of jet-setters, better get your opinions in now. The FAA mentions the possibility of incorporating the "no-fly" list of the TSA into security requirements for space travel."

7 of 115 comments (clear)

  1. No space plane for you, junior. by Phariom · · Score: 3, Interesting

    "The FAA mentions the possibility of incorporating the 'no-fly' list of the TSA into security requirements for space travel."

    That includes this individual.

  2. You have to ask yourself.. by IAAP · · Score: 3, Interesting
    if we're really safer with these kinds of procedures and people "protecting" us (See parent's link). If an obvious error of someone who is harmless cannot be fixed, what would happen if there's someone who is a threat and the TSA cannot get their name ON the list do to their own internal policies and procedures? Or is it that all you have to do is have a similar name to someone who is a possible, maybe not a probable, threat and you're fucked?

    If I have to make a choice between my liberties being taken away or dealing with the terrorists, I'll take my chances with the terrorists. And before anyone says something to the effect of "It's better to be safe than sorry!" or "It has happened!" or some such nonsense, let me point out that we're already taking chances everyday with terror attacks from the wholes that exist. The only way to get rid of ALL possible threats is to put everyone under house arrest and have personal GPS planted on everyone. Of course, the non-persons will not have one and considering that the non-person is usually the type that is recruited by terrorist organizatons; well, again, we're fucked.

  3. Re:No-fly list? by jonwil · · Score: 2, Interesting

    One thing to remember is that spacecraft do not have to land at the same spaceport they took off from.
    The use of suborbital flights (like what SpaceShipOne was able to do and what Virgin Galactic plans to do) as a way to get from A to B much faster than a normal airplane is something that boffins and scientists and space gurus are already talking about and drawing up plans for.
    In that circumstance, all the rules that apply to a normal airplane flight (such as passport requirements, no-fly lists etc) will need to be applied to the spacefights.

  4. Is everyone here just thinking short-term?? by red990033 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Seriously - do you all really think that 30 - 40 years from now, space tourism won't be common place? Yes, it may still be for the more affluent of folks, but thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people will be traveling into space every year. With that many people, do you all really think that there won't be space stations in the US, and everyone will travel half way around the world to Russia for launch? Surely you all don't believe thousands of people will take a 14 hour flight, just to board another flight. *queue the "Don't call me Sherly jokes" I don't see these regulations as being something for the present, rather for the long-term. And we need these regulations here in the US.. I mean isn't the US all about protecting us from ourselves - at least, that's the way it's becoming.

    --
    Do what I say, cuz I said it.
    -Meatwad
  5. He may be a brit, but... by C10H14N2 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    He chose New Mexico to build a billion-dollar spaceport because the "restrictive" government there wants to foot half the bill.

  6. Re:No-fly list? by jmp_nyc · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Even Apollo 11 had to fill out a customs declaration. I'm sure the same rules would apply to commercial space travel that involves a stop somewhere outside of the US. (Say, on a privately run space station, which is likely to happen in the long run if commercial spaceflight is a success.)
    -JMP

  7. Re:Much of the proposal sounds well thought out by georgewilliamherbert · · Score: 2, Interesting
    ...but very few have bothered to read any of the proposal

    There are things /. readers as a collective body are good at. For everything else, there are other forums.

    Actual spaceflight companies are reading it in detail, and using other forums. With a couple of exceptions, and I'm one of them, people from those companies don't even come here due to the levels of FUD the /.ers bring.

    What has come up so far in those other forums is people who are using VTVL vehicles scratching their heads about the pilots license requirement ("But it has no wings...!"), the person seriously working on a FAA AST regulated commercial ELV launched capsule (me) scratching my head about the pilots license requirement ("But it has no atmospheric controls whatsoever...!"). Other than that requirement, the other stuff got telegraphed to industry and interested parties well, and everyone seems to be giving it a preliminary thumbs-up.