Space Access Update #105 10/19/04

Henry Vanderbilt wrote:

What To Do

If you're a US citizen from one of the fifty states, you have two
Senators. Fax or phone them in DC, or contact them back at home if the
election campaign gives you a chance, and ask them to support a version
of HR 3752 acceptable to the FAA and to the members of the new reusable
rocket industry. If appropriate, go on to give a very brief supporting
pitch, to the effect that this new industry has huge promise for the US,
that it's appropriate to have the FAA stringently regulate risk to the
general public, but that industry participants have to be able to take
some risks in these early days in order to learn enough so that rockets
can eventually be as safe as airplanes only got after generations of
accumulated aviation experience.

I'm delurking just long enough to urge people to do as Henry asks.
Passage of HR 3752 in an acceptable form would go a long way toward
removing the regulatory risk of space ventures. If the industry as a
whole thrives, it will be good for all potential spacefarers- that means
you, folks!

Doug Jones, Rocket Plumber