Washington claims right to regulate suborbital launches made by US companies anywhere around the world
US persons or organisations operating suborbital test flights outside the USA will still have to obtain a Federal Aviation Administration permit, according to newly proposed rules. This is because, under existing international treaties, governments are responsible for launches made by their citizens or legal entities beyond their own borders.
The FAA’s commercial space transport office published the notice of proposed rulemaking on experimental permits for reusable suborbital vehicles at the end of March and interested parties have 60 days to respond. The US agency hopes the new rules will become regulations by the end of 2006.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Singaporean governments have announced agreements with US firm Space Adventures to operate its Explorer air-launched suborbital vehicle from spaceports under construction in the two countries. “Space Adventures has not come to us yet for a licence,” says George Nield, FAA deputy associate administrator for commercial space transportation.
Space Adventures has agreements with Texas based-investment company Prodea and Moscow’s Federal Space Agency to develop a fleet of suborbital vehicles with Russia’s Myasishchev design bureau. The UAE’s department of civil aviation has already granted clearance for suborbital flights.
UK-based Virgin Galactic has partnered with US firm Scaled Composites to launch a suborbital service initially from California’s Mojave Spaceport in 2008 and then New Mexico’s Southwest Regional Spaceport in 2009. Test flights could begin in Mojave within the next two years. Virgin Galactic has already spoken to the UK’s British National Space Centre, which is involved in the UK’s launch licensing process. The centre is also to involve the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority in discussions.
Nield says the Southwest Regional Spaceport has environmental work to complete to obtain its licence. He adds that the Mojave Spaceport will probably have to renew its operating licence, which was specifically granted for the 2004 flights of Scaled Composites’ air-launched SpaceShipOne, even if Virgin Galactic’s successor SpaceShipTwo is similar in configuration.
Source: Flight International
