Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

NASA and FAA Team To Streamline, Regulate Commercial Space Access

Posted by samzenpus on from the rules-in-space dept.

coondoggie writes "The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and NASA today said they signed an agreement to coordinate standards for commercial space travel of government and non-government astronauts to and from low-Earth orbit and the International Space Station (ISS). The main goals of the agreement are to establish a framework for the emerging commercial US space industry to help streamline requirements and multiple sets of standards and ultimately to regulate public and crew safety."

5 of 57 comments (clear)

  1. I hope that doesn't work the normal way... by TWX · · Score: 4, Insightful

    ...that joint-bureaucracy works...

    The intelligence of a group can be determined by finding the IQ of the least intelligent member of the group, and dividing that number by the total people in the group.

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  2. Re:Why two agencies? by camperdave · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why not assign the management of the nation's airspace to the Secretary of the Interior.

    Um... because the nation's airspace is outside?

    --
    When our name is on the back of your car, we're behind you all the way!
  3. FAA+NASA+TSA by turkeyfeathers · · Score: 5, Funny

    It won't be any fun until the TSA joins the party

  4. Re:Query by Nyeerrmm · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Actual Answer: Leave the regulatory regime completely undefined so that no one will risk launching for fear of over-restrictive 'DO SOMETHING!' regulations killing their business model after they've already settled on an approach.

    Its far better to define reasonable regulations right now than wait for poorly thought out ones to be implemented later when it becomes clear they're necessary.

    Also, the FAA AST (Office of Commercial Space) folks are very supportive of getting a real industry off the ground. They're space enthusiasts, not charicatures of empire-building bureacrats.

  5. Re:Query by SixAndFiftyThree · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Actually the existing pioneers, including Armadillo Aerospace, XCOR, and some others of whom you (should) have heard, are already working with the FAA and they report that the experience has not been too painful. I can't help worrying when NASA wants to get in on the act, though. NASA's main product is paper, with a few space vehicles as unintentional by-products, and they won't want to disappoint anyone ....