Will James Oberstar kill the space tourism industry?

[docm]

http://www.thespacereview.com/article/749/1<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>According to the authoritative Politics In America, back in 1989 Congressman James Oberstar (D-MN), the presumptive chairman of the House Transportation Committee in the next Congress, led an effort to force President George H.W. Bush to intervene on the side of the unions in the bitter strike at Eastern Airlines. His effort failed, but has anyone taken a ride on one of their flights recently? Now as Chair of a powerful House Committee he could help do to the infant US space tourism industry what he helped do to Eastern.<br /><br />In 2004 Congress passed the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act (CSLAA) which provided a legal basis for the regulatory activities of the FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation’s operations in the manned suborbital rocket field. The CSLAA was based on the principle that the primary duty of the government is to ensure the safety of the uninvolved public and if individuals wanted to risk their necks flying in rocketplanes that was mostly their business. At the time Oberstar tried, but failed, to amend the act to include language ordering that the industry be regulated almost to the same safety standards of the airlines.<br /> /><p><hr /></p></p></blockquote> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[holmec]

Fortunately Sir Richard Branson is not bound to the U.S.<br /><br />So if the US doesn't want the space tourism, I am sure there are plenty of countries that would welcome the attraction.....like France. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[nyarlathotep]

Well, he's partially bound. If Oberstar wanted to play dirty the State department could hold up his ITAR approvals. <br /><br />Long term, Branson would just buy an alternate vehicle. Perhaps that Russian one being built by Space Adventures which is perpetually four years from completion.

 

[docm]

The saving grace may be the large number of "Blue Dog" and DLC (Democratic Leadership Conference) Democrats elected. Blue Dogs tend to be rather conservative, many markedly so, and often vote with Republicans. DLC types are generally pro-business centerists.<br /><br />In the next House the Blue Dogs alone will make up ~20% +/- of the Democratic caucus. The DLC members are as numerous and include Rep. Rom Emanuel, the leader of the Dem campaign committee and the person most new Dem House members credit with their victory. <br /><br />If Pelosi falls on her face, which might happen before she's sworn in as Speaker the way she's going <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" />, look for Emanuel to be a prime candidate for the next Majority Leader or even Speaker.<br /><br />A similar situation occurred when Reagan was President; there was a Democratic House leadership but the actual governing majority was a coalition of Republicans + Blue Dogs + a floating population of what today would be the DLC members. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[holmec]

I don't think SpaceShipTwo is bound to this country either. <br /><br />And four years waiting for a SpaceShipOne equivelent is rough, because you have to add at least anoter 3-4 years for a SpaceShipTwo equivalent.<br /><br />The Congressman arguments are only in the transportation of the public to sub orbit space, not the exportation of space ships. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[docm]

I beg to differ...strongly. <br /><br />Scaled etc. had to get technology export licenses to transfer their tech to Virgin, a foreign entity, under ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations) and it was anything but easy.<br /><br />A Transportation Committee Chairman could easily call those licenses into question using the committee's "oversight" powers. <br /><br />So could an Intelligence Committee chairman, and if Pelosi gets her way and it's Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla), you can bet on it. <br /><br />Hastings an interesting guy: in a past life he's one of only 6 Federal Judges ever removed from office (impeached) by the Congress in our 200+ years as a nation. His crime: taking bribes. He also is $5 - $6 million in debt, which could be used to compromise him. Even many liberal groups don't want him. <br /><br />You or I could never get a chairmans level of security clearance with a record like that <img src="/images/icons/tongue.gif" /><br /><br />Problem is that Pelosi's determined he's her guy because he, like her, is an ultra-lib. <br /><br />Wonderful. More cans of worms for NASA & the private space folks to deal with....<br /><br />A much better choice would be the committee's current ranking member, Rep. Jane Harman of California. She has much more experience and is respected by both parties.<br /><br />She also was co-sponsor of H.R. 1024 - the Zero Gravity, Zero Tax Act of 2005;<br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>H.R. 1024: Would provide tax incentives for investing in companies involved in space-related activities.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote>http://www.theorator.com/bills109/hr1024.html <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[holmec]

Well you don't have to make them in the US to begin with.<br /><br />Set up shop overseas, then you bypass US law altogether. <br /><br />My point is that there is more than one way to skin a rabbit and Branson is the type of guy who would find a work around the politics no matter what.<br /><br />Remember Virgin Airlines took on British Airways and won in court. That is no insignificant feat.<br /><br />Anyway no politician is going to stop the space tourism industry. Its already started and people are going to get what they want. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#0000ff"><em>"SCE to AUX" - John Aaron, curiosity pays off</em></font></p> </div>

 

[frodo1008]

With Barbara Mikulski in charge of the NASA Oversight committee in the Senate, both NASA and all other space efforts will have far more support in that body than before, so I do say that we should stop being premature here and wait to see what happens. <br /><br />The greatest threat to ALL space programs is the Iraq War. Just as the Viet Nahm War soaked up the funding for NASA right after Apollo and left us with the magnificent but flawed space shuttle, the same thing would have happened with the Iraq effort! The election of the Democrats was based on the average American's disgust with this useless and expensive operation (to say nothing of our continuing casualties). <br /><br />If the Democrats don't do the job that they were put into office for, you can look for a very large surge of indepenant party voters in 2008!<br /><br />If they can end this drain on funds there will be a great deal more money available for far more profitable enterprises, such as American Infrastructure. American security, alternate fuels, and finally the American Space program.<br /><br />Quite frankly, I really don't care nearly as much about the Iraq equivalents to these efforts!!!!!<br /><br />So cheer up people, there is hope!<br />

 

[5stone10]

Oberstar didn't kill Eastern Airlines - the 1978 Airline Deregulation act did, along with stronger and lower fare airlines such as Delta, US Air and People's Express.