Space

The Dragon Gets Its Wings

18 Comments

I’m very reliably informed that SpaceX was issued a reentry license for the capsule today. One more milestone (and removal of a potential roadblock) to flight next month.

18 thoughts on “The Dragon Gets Its Wings”

  1. This is a bigger milestone that what it might appear in that there was no process in place for a reentry license until now. Well yea we have been reentering stuff for a long time by the government but as we all know they don’t play by the same rule book that we have to.

  4. Fine news indeed, and a great way to go into the holidays. I know (seriously hoping at any rate) that someday these launches will be taking place every month or so, and be ‘no big deal’. But us guys? We’ll remember how hard it was to be patient, especially from June through December of 2010.

  5. The dawn of a new era of manned spaceflight? We will see. I’m keeping my fingers crossed, this could be huge.

  6. Wish Space X well with their new license and their upcoming launch. Three successful COTs launches will make even the porkish traitors in Congress(the the Utah delegation) sit up and take notice.

  7. Excellent! Imagine how much things could have been delayed if the Wright Brothers had to apply for a license with Langley as a reviewer of their license request…

    The launch will be what’s remembered, but the granting of the license may actually be the bigger deal.

  9. “Issued a reentry license” …by what right does the government get to say “serve us or not return to earth?” Would we stand for it if Botswana [insert whatever other country you like] said the same? It is by force and without consent. It is part of the petty tyranny that we allow that over time becomes real tyranny because it’s the default way of thinking of our ‘leaders.’

  10. Ken, I kinda see where you’re coming from, and know that the licensing process can be klunky, ridiculous, overapplied, and open for abuse. On the other hand, I think the government has some valid claim to need to approve activities (or those doing so, in this case for 1 year) involving bringing a multi-thousand pound object from orbital speeds to a soft landing near a major metropolitan area.

    Definite step in the right direction. Hope the movement continues towards making this more commonplace.

  11. According to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967, the launching nation is liable for any damages caused by a launch or by a returning spacecraft*. Like it or not, that treaty has for force of international law (the US ratified it) and is likely the reason why the US government has approval authority for commercial space activities such as launch and reentry.

    *Of course, the US government would immediately demand payment from the relevant commercial companies. That’s why they either carry insurance or self-insure.

  13. Folks, I’m a small-l libertarian, and I’m working on building spaceships myself, but I understand and agree that liability to third parties has to have some oversight. Currently it’s by FAA AST, in a libertarian paradise you might simply get a certification from Underwriters Laboratories, but the fact remains that having someone _outside_ the design team look over your work is a GOOD thing. My right to swing my fist ends well short of your nose.

  14. having someone _outside_ the design team look over your work is a GOOD thing

    Absolutely agree. However, demanding a license is a different order of thing.

    the launching nation is liable for any damages caused by a launch or by a returning spacecraft

    So if they launch outside the U.S., there would be no claim?

    The U.S. has entered into a treaty that puts restrictions on the U.S. How does that actually give the U.S. the right to impose restrictions on others? It doesn’t. It is forced on those others. This is why I say justification does not equal justice. It’s trivially easy for me to justify restrictions on my neighbors. Now if I had the force I could then impose them. How is that right?

    If a reentry goes bad, is the company not liable without the license? They are liable without it. There’s nothing wrong with expressing concern or offering to review but you cross a line when you enforce a law without consent. It’s not THAT big a deal in this case, but the mentality that consistently allows it IS.

  15. Suppose for whatever reason they decided not to issue the license. SpaceX might then be unable to use the launch facilities they paid time and money to develop. Is that right?

  16. “Cool! Any guesses on a date for the launch?”

    My guess would be 7 December, based on SpaceX’s statement to that effect published in the L.A. Times. Elon will look at his watch, and at the appropriate moment yell “Tora! Tora! Tora!”

    As for the government’s right to do this, I would ordinarily share Ken’s angst. But the fact that this is public safety AND involves international treaties, indemnification of a U.S. entity, and other wide-reaching issues that actually are in the legitimate purview of government, gives me some level of comfort that the government should be handling it.

    I’m sure that this will become commonplace in the near future. Very sure, in fact…

  17. My angst comes from the fact that so many are willing to accept rulership by our lord and masters without ever questioning ‘by what right.’ It’s just so easy to come up with justifications for things and to accept them when there is no actual foundation to support them. Most of the time these are so minor that it’s not worth the fight until you realize it’s everywhere and pervasive.

    I’m just sick of the unspoken assumption that a bureaucrat can govern our lives. The latest being we must subject ourselves to public groping or nudity if we want to fly. You object? Then you don’t fly. This is wrong in every case… even those we find acceptable.

    I’m very tempted to show up at the airport in my undershorts (don’t visualize, it’s ugly.) When the cops show up I’ll just say, “I don’t know how I got here, I just remember somebody grabbing my balls.” Ok, maybe not. There was a day when I would do something that outrageous but I’ve mellowed since riding the mechanical bull at Zeekers. Hmmm, ride the bull, wait a day, then show up at airport in shorts with purple bruises…

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