Commerical Space Flight Food Fight Resumes
House Transportation Committee Hearing on Commercial Space Transportation: Beyond The X Prize [contains links to prepared testimony]
“The purpose of this hearing is to discuss the status and future of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry and the role of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in providing safety oversight of the industry.”
Rep. Calvert Addresses Commercial Space Transportation Conference
“In 2010 the Shuttle will be retired. So there is right now a need to move people into space quickly, safely and reliably. I believe that need could be met in large part by the private sector and that the people in this room will play a key role in making it happen. The job of Congress is to pass legislation and exercise its oversight functions in such a way that will enable this industry to succeed”
“Mr. Speaker, I support commercial space exploration and the commercial space industry, but not at the expense of totally ignoring safety. The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, P.L. 108-492, prohibits the Secretary of Transportation from issuing safety design and operating regulations or even minimal safety requirements for individual licenses for the next eight years unless there is a potentially catastrophic incident.”
