[MITMS-Discuss] Fwd: Space Entrepreneurs Resolve To Create Industry Group

Tue Feb 8 20:29:30 EST 2005

Human spaceflight may soon have "industry standards" ...

>Date: Tue,  8 Feb 2005 16:24:40 -0800
>From: "X PRIZE Foundation" <Peter at xprize.org>
>To: "X PRIZE!" <tcoffee at mit.edu>
>Subject: Space Entrepreneurs Resolve To Create Industry Group
>
>
>
>February 8, 2005
>
>4a5a3cc.jpg
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>February 08, 2005 11:21 AM US Eastern Timezone
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>Space Entrepreneurs Resolve To Create Industry Group to Promote Safety 
>Standards and Growth of the Personal Spaceflight Industry
>
>LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 8, 2005--Leaders from the newly 
>emerging Personal Spaceflight Industry today announced their intent to 
>organize an industry federation to design and uphold the standards and 
>processes necessary to ensure public safety and promote growth of the 
>personal spaceflight industry. The group also resolved to set up a 
>Voluntary Personal Spaceflight Industry Consensus Standards Organization 
>to develop Industry Consensus Standards to implement the Commercial Space 
>Launch Amendments Act of 2004. Membership in the proposed federation would 
>be open to all US non-profit and commercial entities developing suborbital 
>commercial passenger travel.
>
>To date, there have been three successful suborbital spaceflights, which 
>operated under an experimental license granted by the Federal Aviation 
>Administration. Looking to the near future when these new space vehicles 
>will carry passengers and crew, the new Commercial Space Launch Amendments 
>Act of 2004, passed by Congress and signed by President Bush in December 
>2004, empowers government to provide for the safety of the uninvolved 
>public through launch licensing, as well as establish Industry Consensus 
>Standards to provide for the safety of passengers and crew on these new 
>vehicles.
>
>The group of entrepreneurs believes that adherence to new and rigorous 
>safety standards that go beyond the letter of the law will be essential to 
>promote the safety and growth of the industry. Accordingly, the group has 
>expressed its intent to initially focus on standards and procedures in 
>areas critical to vehicle safety, medical requirements, and training for 
>passengers and crew.
>
>"Just as the personal computer revolution dramatically increased 
>performance and lowered the cost of computing, the market for Personal 
>Spaceflight promises to transform the economics of space operations," said 
>Gregg Maryniak, Executive Director of the X PRIZE Foundation and 
>spokesperson for the new Personal Spaceflight Federation.
>
>"The only way to reduce the cost of spaceflight is to do more of it," 
>Maryniak continued. "In 2004, there were only 15 worldwide commercial 
>space launches because there were only 15 commercial satellite 
>payloads.(1) Personal spaceflight promises a much larger market and will 
>provide the demand that the industry needs to grow and economize."
>
>Recent market studies indicate a strong and consistent demand for personal 
>spaceflight, with some 70 percent of respondents in the developed world 
>responding that they would be willing to buy a ticket to see the Earth 
>from space when such trips are commercially available.
>
>Several "new space" US companies currently are developing the vehicles 
>needed to meet this demand for human suborbital spaceflight. Public belief 
>in the Personal Spaceflight Industry peaked following the recent award of 
>the $10 million ANSARI X PRIZE, won by the Mojave Aerospace Ventures Team 
>with the two successful flights of SpaceShip One on September 29th and 
>October 4th, 2004.
>
>Space entrepreneurs working to create the new federation include: John 
>Carmack, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83417&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>Armadillo 
>Aerospace; Burt Rutan, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83418&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>Scaled 
>  Composites; Elon Musk, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83419&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>SpaceX; 
>Alex Tai, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83420&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>Virgin 
>  Galactic; Jeff Greason, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83421&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>XCOR; 
>Dr. Peter Diamandis, X PRIZE Foundation; Gary Hudson, t/Space/HMX; George 
>French, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83422&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>Pioneer 
>Rocketplane; Stuart Witt, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83423&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>Mojave 
>  Spaceport, Eric Anderson, 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83424&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>Space 
>Adventures, and Michael S. Kelly, Chairman, RLV Working Group of 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83425&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>COMSTAC, 
>the Department of Transportation's industry advisory committee. Gregg 
>Maryniak and Diane Murphy, executives of the X PRIZE Foundation, will 
>facilitate the organization's liaison efforts with industry, US Government 
>and media.
>
>(1) January 2005 Launch Report, Futron Corporation, Bethesda, Md.~
>
>Contact:
>Diane Murphy
>The X PRIZE Foundation
>www.xprize.org
>
>
>
>=========================================
>
>The X PRIZE Foundation is an educational 501(c)3 organization. Please 
>consider making a contribution today by 
><http://echo3.bluehornet.com/ct/ct.php?t=83426&c=69449124&m=m&type=1>Credit 
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>or by calling one of our development staff at 1.866.X.PRIZE.8
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>=========================================
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