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Arms Regulations Damaging US Space Industry
athe!st writes "International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) are a major headache for companies trying to put their satellites into space, so much so that some companies are using 'ITAR-free' (aka free of US technology) as a selling point. The European Space Agency is trying to reduce its dependence on ITAR components, and the regulations are also threatening the nascent space tourism industry."
Yeah, that's pretty much the case. I used to work in an aerospace company. We liked to use the adjective ITAR'ded.
ITARded
Come to think of it, I haven't seen Peter for a while.....
Yep, yay for the "job security clearance" for providing us with unexportable work opportunities. Like escorting / watching over the shoulders of uncleared contractors while they do the real work :-P Oh, and verifying all the export compliance and foreign visitor paperwork! Fun times to be had by all!
It has a multiplicative effect on the economy... sort of like how bad schools lead to more prisoners which leads to more lucrative prison warden and supply contractor jobs!