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SpaceX Gets First Private FAA Space Reentry License

Posted by kdawson on from the interpanetary-driver's-license dept.

coondoggie sends in a Network World story that begins "Space Exploration Technologies (Space X) got the first-ever Federal Aviation Administration license allowing the reentry to Earth of a privately developed spacecraft. The license was needed because the Space X Dragon space capsule is scheduled to launch atop Space X's Falcon 9 rocket on Dec. 7 and return to earth. The Launch of the rocket had already been approved by the FAA. The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation noted that it has licensed over 200 successful launches."

4 of 108 comments (clear)

  1. What? by MrOctogon · · Score: 5, Funny

    You need a license to reenter earth? I can imagine needing a license to create the rockets and stuff to get up there in the first place, but once you're up there won't gravity bring you down? Isn't that the law??

  2. We need something better by dmomo · · Score: 4, Funny

    Like a green card system. If you outlaw "landing on Earth", only outlaws will land on Earth. That is very scary. I recommend a legal path to citizenship for our visitors.

  3. It's needed. by Animats · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Bear in mind that a spacecraft launch and an ICBM launch look very similar, and a re-entry looks like an incoming missile. It's best if everybody knows where and when to expect such events, so that various military forces don't overreact. Both the normal scenarios and the abort plans need to be reviewed.

  4. Re:A license? by thpr · · Score: 5, Informative

    Yeah, except... nobody owns space by international treaty anyway. So if a satellite malfunctions (or a space ship collides with one), legally it's like international waters.

    Articles VI and VII of The Treaty disagree.

    Which - for reference - is different from the law of the sea.