US aviation authorities plan to explore establishing standards for commercial human spaceflight, a potentially significant change for a rapidly maturing industry that has operated without formal regulation for occupant safety.
(Bloomberg) — US aviation authorities plan to explore establishing standards for commercial human spaceflight, a potentially significant change for a rapidly maturing industry that has operated without formal regulation for occupant safety.
The Federal Aviation Administration said Thursday that it’s creating a rulemaking committee to consider the process and costs of new safety regulations. It will gather recommendations from those in the commercial space industry and other stakeholders, with recommendations submitted to the FAA next summer.
The announcement comes shortly before a yearslong moratorium on regulating commercial human spaceflight is set to end in October. Since 2004, various pieces of legislation have been passed to extend the moratorium, which has restricted the FAA from imposing safety standards on vehicles that carry humans to space.
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The FAA said in a statement that it’s launching the committee now “due to the increase in commercial space activities,” as well as the impending end of the regulation moratorium.
Under the current rules, people who participate in commercial flights to space do so under a framework known as “informed consent,” meaning they must acknowledge that the vehicles they fly on have not been certified for safety ahead of their trips to space. The moratorium was designed to avoid stifling innovation and growth in the industry.
The FAA is responsible for licensing the launch and reentry of space vehicles, but only to ensure that these activities don’t harm the uninvolved public or property.
Proponents for keeping the moratorium in place have argued that the commercial space industry is still in a learning period and that regulations could be too burdensome. The Commercial Spaceflight Federation, which represents leading players in the industry, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The group lobbied for legislation that extended the moratorium in 2015.
The FAA also said Thursday that it plans to work with spaceflight organizations to come up with new voluntary recommendations for keeping humans safe during trips to space.
(Updates with details of moratorium proponents in seventh paragraph)
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