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Space Tourism Bill Passed Bill Could Boost State Aerospace

Posted on: Saturday, 6 March 2004, 06:00 CST

WASHINGTON - The House launched into the space tourism industry Thursday, passing a bill supporters say will boost aerospace production in Southern California.

National aerospace industry officials and various Antelope Valley companies hailed the 402-1 passage of the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act, saying it ends confusion over who will regulate the budding human spaceflight industry.

"This is about a lot more than joy rides in space," said Science Committee Chairman Rep. Sherwood Boehlert, R-N.Y. "This is about the future of the aerospace industry."

The legislation sponsored by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, R-Huntington Beach, makes the Federal Aviation Administrations Office of Commercial Space Technology the sole regulator of human space flight.

The bill also establishes what one Mojave-based company lauded as a "fly-at-your-own-risk" system requiring paying passengers to provide written consent that they know the dangers of space flight and limiting the liability of launch companies to $500 million.

Aerospace industry leaders have in the past year pleaded with Congress for passenger insurance from the government, saying without it only the extremely wealthy would be able to pay the millions of dollars in liability insurance needed to go into space.

So far, Russia is the only nation offering tourists such trips. California businessman Dennis Tito, the world's first space tourist, and South African Internet magnate Mark Shuttleworth each paid $20 million to visit the International Space Station.

"We think (the bill) is very carefully crafted legislation which will help commercial human space flight develop in America," Jeff Greason, president of the Mojave-based Xcor Aerospace, said in a statement.

Tim Huddleston, executive director of the Aerospace States Association, called the bill "a significant next step in developing space and creating a major new economic engine for powering our nation's economy."

In California, aerospace production represents a $24.2 billion industry.

According to the California Space Authority, the state employs more than 300,000 people in some aspect of space technology with wages totaling about $12 billion annually.

Jack Kyser, chief economist with the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp., called space tourism "the ultimate niche market."

"If you could generate some new activity there, that would probably have an impact on the region," he said.

The House also passed an amendment by Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., freezing the funding to encourage space tourism to its current level of $11.8 million for the next three years.

"At a time of large deficits, this will show that Congress is getting serious about holding the line on nondefense spending," Flake said.

The bill now goes to the Senate for consideration. The one dissenting vote was cast by Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.

Lisa Friedman, (202) 662-8731

lisa.friedman(at)langnews.com

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