FAA Revamps Space Launch Rules as SpaceX, Blue Origin Expand (bloomberg.com) 11
Commercial rocket ventures including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin should get a clearer path to space under new regulations that oversee non-government launches. From a report: The Federal Aviation Administration on Thursday announced it is replacing decades-old rules as it adapts to rapid growth in the industry to propel satellites and, eventually, private citizens into space. "This rule paves the way for an industry that is moving at lightning speed," FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a press release. "We are simplifying the licensing process and enabling industry to move forward in a safe manner." In addition to SpaceX and Blue Origin, Virgin Galactic and Virgin Orbit, companies founded by Richard Branson, are also trying to cash in on space tourism and small satellite launches. Other companies include Northrop Grumman, United Launch Alliance and Rocket Lab.
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NASA's primary mission (Score:1)
> NASA doesn't seem very focused anymore on going to space
Space hasn't been one of their top three priorities, according the head of NASA for eight years.
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When I became the NASA administrator -- or before I became the NASA administrator -- he charged me with three things. One was he wanted me to help re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach out to the Muslim world
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You forgot the end in brackets, which by the way is quite true. The Muslin world during our Middle Ages in Europe was quite different than the Muslim world of today. Then they were the leaders of science, math, and engineering.
"I became the NASA Administrator - he charged me with three things: One was that he wanted me to re-inspire children to want to get into science and math, that he wanted me to expand our international relationships, and third, and perhaps foremost, he wanted me to find a way to reach
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Okay, NASA's primary mission was to help Muslim nations feel good about what 2,000 years ago Muslims did. Better?
You can decide for yourself if you think that's what NASA's primary mission *should* be, if that's the purpose of having NASA.
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I was just pointing out that the omission you made in that quote, it changes the tenor of the remark quite a bit, from a new ageish "feel good" to reminder that the Muslim world, once upon a time, were leaders in the scientific research of the time. The Italian Renaissance wouldn't have been possible without the knowledge that the Arab world discovered. NASA was extending an olive branch to them hoping that to bring them into the fold of other countries that NASA partners with spaceflight. This isn't unusua
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> I suppose some people get all "boogie-woogie" when Muslims are concerned but I'm not.
In my personal opinion, NASA's "foremost" mission should have something to do with space. Not making people in other countries feel good, about whatever. That might be a pleasant side-effect of space exploration, but NASA's mission should be space exploration, IMHO.
> This isn't unusual for them, NASA has done it with other every other spacefaring nation for decades.
Last I checked, there are three space-faring nati
Specifics (Score:4, Informative)
To be specific, a single launch license will be written for multiple launches, whereas an individual license is required for every current launch.
It's a reasonable modification of bureaucratic procedure that's likely to survive an administration change. When there were zero commercial launches in a year and every payload was unique and special, no one cared. Now that there are nearly 30 per year in FAA jurisdiction, it's time. It's not like range safety requirements will be changing. Just the required paperwork.