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Updated Spaceflight Bill

The latest revision of what used to be H.R. 3752 has been released by Sen Inhofe. The new bill is S. 2772 (no static link: go to Thomas and search for "s2772"). Changes are to the definition of suborbital rocket:

`suborbital rocket' means a vehicle, rocket-propelled in whole or in part, intended for flight on a suborbital trajectory whose thrust is greater than its lift for the majority of the rocket-powered portion of its flight.

I'd prefer "thrust greater than weight," since lift is a bit harder to keep track of without extensive instrumentation, but that's just a matter of preferring the easier quantity to measure. Still, it's a good definition. This eliminates the problem that Rocketplane Limited (formerly Pioneer Rocketplane) had with the definition.

There are some other relatively minor changes, and then this:

The Secretary of Transportation shall not require any additional license, permit, certificate, or other legal instrument be obtained from the Department of Transportation for any activity, including flight and return, for which a license or experimental permit has been issued under this chapter.

This is a nice addition, since it further lowers the bar for flight testing of suborbital vehicles. The experimental permit referred to is similar to the experimental permit for flight testing of aircraft, with the same intent: to lower the regulatory bar to new vehicle development. The entire homebuilt aircraft industry is built on the existence of aviation experimental permits. Anyone contemplating building their own suborbital spacecraft should read the portion of S.2772 dealing with experimental permits (section 3(c)(8) of the bill, about halfway down the page). Read the whole thing :-)

Hat tip to Randall Clague of XCOR for letting me know about this development.

Posted by Andrew Case at August 10, 2004 03:18 PM

Comments

I don't think that they're called Pioneer any more, Andrew.

Posted by Rand Simberg at August 10, 2004 03:20 PM

The 'S.2772' link didn't work as I'd expect it to. How exactly did you get to that page? When I posted this, it was giving a 'Your Search has Expired' message.

Thanks for the information!

Posted by Al at August 10, 2004 03:30 PM

Try this one: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c106:s.2772:

You'd think Thomas would understand that making linking easy is a basic usability requirement.

Posted by Michael Mealling at August 10, 2004 04:04 PM

Try this one: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c108:s.2772:

You'd think Thomas would understand that making linking easy is a basic usability requirement.

Posted by Michael Mealling at August 10, 2004 04:05 PM

Doh! Use the 2nd one. The first was a typo....

Posted by Michael Mealling at August 10, 2004 04:06 PM

Rand, Al- fixed the problems.
Everyone else - if you're wondering what Rand and Al were talking about, they were under the mistaken impression that I am capable of error. I have set them straight. He who controls the past controls the present.

Posted by Andrew Case at August 10, 2004 04:32 PM

He who controls the past controls the present.

The future you desire determines the past your present creates.

Posted by Bill White at August 10, 2004 05:11 PM

He who controls the past controls the present.

The future you desire determines the past your present creates.

Posted by Bill White at August 10, 2004 05:11 PM

The future you desire determines the past your present creates.

Great line, Bill. Applications to divergent recollections of Kerry's war record are left as an exercise :-)

Posted by Andrew Case at August 10, 2004 05:45 PM

I tend to think this is a skill required of ALL politicians, regardless of party affiliation.

;-/

Posted by Bill White at August 10, 2004 06:22 PM

"Majority". Is that in terms of time, vertical or horizontal distance...? A rocket that engages in a powered landing may well not have "thrust greater than lift for the majority of its flight".

Posted by mike earl at August 11, 2004 07:22 AM

Oops, ignore latter part of my past post; I read "weight" instead of "lift", somehow. "Majority" is still a bit fuzzy, though.

Posted by mike earl at August 11, 2004 07:23 AM

Mike,
I had the same question regarding the meaning of 'majority' as well, and asked Randall Clague. He stated that it refers to time, i.e. the time duration of powered operation.

Posted by John Bossard at August 11, 2004 08:41 AM


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