Private spaceships caught in political fog

[dArKeR]

By Alan Boyle
Science editor
MSNBC
Updated: 7:59 p.m. ET May 28, 2004

Almost three months ago, amid great fanfare, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a historic measure to open the door to private-sector spaceflight — a measure that would allow entrepreneurs to take passengers on suborbital space trips.

The chairman of the House Science Committee, Sherwood Boehlert, called the legislation "one of the most important measures this committee will move this year." California millionaire Dennis Tito, the world's first paying space passenger, said "I hope the Senate takes up this bill soon and sends it on to President Bush for his signature."

But since then, the bill — known as the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, or H.R. 3752 — has languished without Senate action. And some in the infant space travel industry are increasingly worried the measure might just fizzle out.

Without the legislation, private spaceflight could be left in "legal limbo," said XCOR Aerospace, a California-based company that received a suborbital launch license just last month.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/5085384/

Can't help but think the Military Industrial Bush Complex is behind the kill.

[jpgray]

1. Headline sounds like the title of a Philip K Dick novel

If they're planning to militarize space, it is not in their interest to allow private use of space flight.

[AndyTiedye]

2. Seems like the X-Prize has Done More to Promote Private Space Flight

Offer ten million in prize money,
get all these companies to spend hundreds of millions trying to win it.

It's worth it to them if they win, of course, because the commercial opportunities
and the publicity for the winner far outstrip the actual prize money.