A bill exempting space tourism companies from liability if they injure or kill their customers sailed through the Florida Senate on Thursday without objection or debate, Florida Today reports.
The measure exempts businesses from lawsuits as long as customers sign a consent agreement recognizing the inherent dangers in space travel. The exemption would not apply in cases of gross negligence.
The Florida law is similar to one approved in Virginia, which is also hoping to attract commercial space tourism firms.
Although much money has been invested in start-up commercial space companies, the industry has yet to attract the mainstream venture capitalists who fueled the development of computers and the Internet, Investor’s Business Daily reports.
However, experts believe that the time isn’t too far off when venture capitalists will put serious money into the field.
“The investment community has very much a herd mentality, and what we need is a Netscape event,” said X-Prize founder Peter Diamandis, referring to the Internet pioneer’s initial public offering. “Until then, (this industry) will rely on private benefactors who are very passionate about space.”
National Space Society Executive Director George Whitesides, who also is a consultant for Virgin Galactic, agreed. “We’re at a dynamic moment in space history. We have a handful of very credible players who very soon will start launching things and people into space,” he said.
Worldwide space revenues grew by 11 percent in 2007 to $251 billion, according to a report released by the Space Foundation on Monday. Aviation Week breaks down the totals as follows:
- Commercial satellite products and services: $138.8 billion (20 percent increase)
- U.S. government spending: $62.6 billion
- Spending by other governments: $14.7 billion
- Commercial space infrastructure and infrastructure support: $35.3 billion
- Entrepreneurial space transportation services: $40 million (1 percent of total)
Space Florida has an update on its efforts to lure “more than 50 different space-related firms” to the state. The list includes Bigelow Aerospace, XCOR, Rocketplane Corporation, Orbital Sciences Corporation, and an unnamed team competing for the Google Lunar X Prize.
“The involvement of entrepreneurs and private corporations in the United States’ launches is creating new economic opportunities for our state’s aerospace industry,” Gov. Charlie Crist said. “This rapid shift is opening doors for new companies and technologies that are blurring the previous separations between aviation and spaceflight - and between civil, military and commercial industries.”
Meanwhile, a Florida Senate committee has passed a package of four bills aimed at helping Florida attract commercial space companies. The bills include $15 million to refurbish a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center, the extension of tax credits to space companies that are presently limited to defense contractors, and a measure encouraging co-operation between universities on research and development.
Florida Today reports that committees in the House of Representatives have approved similar measures. The full Senate and House must approve the measures, which would then be sent to Gov. Crist for approval.
In a candid blog post, Armadillo Aerospace founder John Carmack offers a spirited defense of his company’s efforts at developing a commercial suborbital vehicle. He also provides candid assessments of his company’s major competitors. Carmack praises some, questions the viability of others, and dismisses one European company with two words.
Some quick highlights:
- Virgin Galactic: “The safest bet for success.” However, the company is “spending a frightful amount of money, their schedule has slipped a lot, and the configuration is inherently much lower in operability than the others. The fatal explosion at Scaled [Composites] has also forever ended the ‘nitrous hybrids are inherently safe’ argument.”
- XCOR: The Mojave, Calif.-based company is working with technology that is largely developed and seems likely to raise the money needed to fly its Lynx Mark 1 and Mark 2 vehicles.
- Rocketplane Global: The Oklahoma company has already spent tens of millions of dollars without flying anything. Carmack doubts this will change.
- SpaceDev: Although the company has done some fine work, its “hybrid-powered VTHL [Verticle Takeoff Horizontal Landing] DreamChaser is about the worst design for commercial suborbital flights.”
- Blue Origin: The company is still shrouded in secrecy. Just what exactly is Jeff Bezos up to over there?
- EADS Astrium: “Oh, please.”
A new documentary is out that chronicles efforts to commercialize the Mir space station. “Orphans of Apollo: The Battle of the Mir & the New Space Revolution,” a film by Michael Potter, recounts efforts by MirCorp during the 1990’s to jump start the space tourism industry. Producers invite you to:
“Join 5 brothers in arms, board a private Gulf Stream jet and fly to Russia and watch them at the negotiating table as they close out the most remarkable business deal of the final frontier. Listen to the key players of the management team struggle with issues of branding, finance, technology and engaging in the ultimate slug fest with the most powerful governments in the world. Can these dreamers replace the bureaucratic and government vision of space with a radically new vision of individuals and private enterprise developing space for all of mankind? Have they found the final frontier?
Yes, they venture into space in order to make billions, but they also go to space with the deep conviction, vision and idealism to save Earth itself. Resources captured in space and sent back to Earth have the potential of solving the entire planet’s energy problems.”
You can learn more about the film and view a trailer at the film’s official website. There is also a trailer on the site.
