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Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) May 18, 2007

Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) May 18, 2007 Brett Alexander John Gedmark President Executive Director. Enabling Personal Spaceflight.

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Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) May 18, 2007

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  1. Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) May 18, 2007 Brett Alexander John Gedmark President Executive Director

  2. Enabling Personal Spaceflight • The Personal Spaceflight Federation is the industry association of leading businesses and organizations working to make commercial human spaceflight a reality. • Our mission: • Promote the development of commercial human spaceflight • Pursue ever higher levels of safety • Share best practices and expertise throughout the industry • About the PSF: • Non-profit organization • Based in Washington, DC • CEO-level board of directors

  3. Commercial Human Spaceflight • What is commercial human spaceflight? • Systems designed for passengers • Developed by the private sector • Using predominantly private funds • Serving multiple markets, including government needs • Two realms of activity • Suborbital – short flights above atmosphere, providing 3-5 minutes of weightlessness • Adventure travel, scientific and industrial research, and astronaut training • Orbital – reaching orbit around Earth, providing hours or days of weightlessness • Adventure travel, scientific and industrial research, manufacturing, Space Station servicing

  4. PSF Membership • Members include developers and operators of: • Spaceships • Spaceports • Orbital spaceflight facilities

  5. Member Activities • Suborbital systems • Building upon success of SpaceShipOne and the Ansari X PRIZE • Systems under development • Piloted flight testing to begin in next couple years • First commercial passenger flights possible thereafter • Orbital systems • Development of spaceships under way • NASA Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) investments • Orbital habitats under development • Bigelow Aerospace testbed in orbit, second to launch in next couple months • First commercial orbital passenger launches possible early next decade • Spaceports • Commercial spaceports licensed in Mojave, California and Oklahoma • State-sponsored spaceports under development in New Mexico, other states

  6. Recent Member Activities • AirLaunch LLC – Successful full duration 2nd stage engine firing • Armadillo Aerospace – Air Force contract, record hover time • Bigelow Aerospace – Announcement of detailed business plan • Blue Origin – Successful test flight • SpaceX – Continued progress with DemoFlight 2 • Space Adventures – Successful flight of Charles Simonyi to ISS • Spaceport America – First launch into space from facility • XCOR – Air Force RLV design contract, engine firings

  7. Focus on Safety • Safety is fundamental • Foundation upon which business depends • Goal is industry safety standards to perpetuate best practices • Passenger training and medical • Operations • Maintenance • Manufacture • Spaceports

  8. Participant Waiver and Release of Claims • OBJECTIVE • Provide measure of liability protection • What needs to be accomplished: • Draft standard waiver and release of claims – to be signed by participant • Include: general liability (“slip and fall”), training, and spaceflight • Account for differing state laws and court histories • Coordinate with insurance markets • Pursue adoption of state legislation limiting liability • Enacted in Virginia in April

  9. Virginia Spaceflight Liability and Immunity Act • Adopted into law on April 4, 2007 • Provisions • Enshrines into law enforceability of liability waivers • Based on similar laws for adventure sports • Ties directly to federal “fly at your own risk” regime and regulations • Designed to protect entire supply chain • Federation working to spread to other states • Working with Officials in California, Oklahoma, and New Mexico • Planning to engage Texas, Florida

  10. Contact information • Bretton Alexander • President • 703-627-1692 • brett@personalspaceflight.org • John Gedmark • Executive Director • 310-889-4409 • john@personalspaceflight.org • Personal Spaceflight Federation • www.personalspaceflight.org • 2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 400 PO Box 28041 • Arlington, VA 22202 Washington, DC 20038

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