Federal Aviation Administration Commercial Space Industry and Regulators
- Slides: 6
Federal Aviation Administration Commercial Space Industry and Regulators Presented to: Emerging Space Industry Leaders By: Jim Van Laak, AST-2 Date: March 27, 2012
Introduction • Commercial Space – the Time is Now – – Confluence of interest and capability NASA commercial cargo contracts Potential commercial crew Space tourism • But space is hard – Physics have not changed – Required performance is a challenge – Business pressures can make it harder still Commercial Space Industry and Regulators March 27, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 2 2
Regulatory Landscape • FAA – Public safety, national interests • FCC – RF interference • NOAA – Earth viewing sensors • Other – DOD – EPA – Commerce Commercial Space Industry and Regulators March 27, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 3 3
Growing Pains • Commercial space is changing and regulators need to catch up – Commercial human spaceflight – Tourism – Increased levels of on-orbit operations • Increased activity may change roles – Orbital debris concerns – Human spaceflight safety • Government should coordinate functions – Reduce overlap, conflicting regulations, etc. Commercial Space Industry and Regulators March 27, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 4 4
Industry’s Role • Act Responsibly – Do your homework – understand the WHY of designs and operations – Follow industry best practices until new ideas proven • Embrace Lessons Learned – Share what works and what does not – Learn from the experiences of others • Respect History – Space program is extensively documented – Make use of the data, people, wisdom Commercial Space Industry and Regulators March 27, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 5 5
Anticipate the Future • We are building the future now – Many systems in development – Many decisions being made – Setting the stage for what will happen • Regulations will reflect our actions – Regulations come from mishaps and near misses – Weaknesses will be addressed – Engineering errors are more forgivable than bad management decisions • Your future is in your hands Commercial Space Industry and Regulators March 27, 2012 Federal Aviation Administration 6 6
