Congress, industry criticize FAA launch licensing regulations

https://spacenews.com/congress-industry-criticize-faa-launch-licensing-regulations/

by inglor_cz • 2 years ago

3 7 2 years ago

spacenews.com

inglor_cz4• 2 years ago

This is an interesting case of the Congress itself pushing back on otherwise constantly expanding safetyism.

An interesting comment from the relevant Reddit thread [0]:

======================================

"You can always make things safer. Always.

The trick isn't about making things safer, its about balancing the safety needs with actually being able to get shit done.

I've been a safety professional in the past, I could easily make legitimate safety arguments that would make something as simple as mowing your lawn so unbearably frustrating you throw up your hands and quit doing it.

Lets see, I'll need your lawn mower training certificate and operators license, your flammable storage cabinet for fuel storage if you plan to keep fuel on site, I'll need you to set up a 50ft mowing perimeter to ensure nobody gets hit with debris, you'll need to wear your mowing PPE, your fuel filling PPE(including an inspected fire extinguisher), your lockout procedures for sharpening the blades, your noise permit from the city, a yearly inspection certificate of your mower showing that none of the mower safety devices have been disabled, and I'll need documented proof you've done all of this on file for five years ready for inspection.

Its only sensible, after all, to be focused on safety over everything else."

[0] https://www.reddit.com/r/space/comments/1fe2fty/comment/lmml...

bell-cot3• 2 years ago

So - why isn't Elan in oh-so-public talks with the UK, Australia, France, and a few other countries with launch-friendly coastal locations, about relocating most of SpaceX's operations to saner shores? It would seem like the obvious strategy.

inglor_cz4• 2 years ago

Do you mean your comment seriously or as a tongue-in-cheek?

bell-cot3• 2 years ago

Seriously. I'm not saying that Elon would move SpaceX - but Tweeting loudly about the possibility feels like an obvious, in-character tactic to pressure the FAA.

Congress, industry criticize FAA launch licensing regulations

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