# Presentation: 887705

## Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee 
(COMSTAC)

May 18, 2007

Brett Alexander                                     John Gedmark
       President                                                         Executive Director 

- (COMSTAC)
- May 18, 2007
**Brett Alexander                                     John Gedmark**
-        President                                                         Executive Director** **

## 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*

## 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

## PSF Membership

**Members include developers and operators of:**
- Spaceships
- Spaceports
- Orbital spaceflight facilities

## 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

## 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*

## 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

## 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

## 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

## 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