In 2004, Congress passed the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act to spur developments in the commercial space industry by prohibiting the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from introducing additional regulations that would hinder progress. Currently, private companies need to adhere to a minimal regulatory framework and apply for a testing permit to be able to launch their vehicle into space. The Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act was extended until October 1, 2015 in 2012 and contingent that no pilots died or suffered serious injury during testing.
The crash of Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo on October 31, 2014 that killed one pilot and injured another has brought the topic of introducing government regulations for private spaceflight up for discussion. The FAA is currently waiting on an accident investigation report from the National Transportation Safety Board before making any official regulatory changes. According to Bloomberg News, the agency “will look to utilize any and all available platforms to leverage lessons learned that will result in increased safety. We know that spaceflight is inherently risky, and we expect that valuable lessons will be learned from these unfortunate events that will lead to increased safety and help this industry continue to evolve.”
Read more about the possible introduction of regulations for the commercial space industry.
