8.2 Commercial Spaceflight Operations
Post your response to any one of the following topics. Provide the topic number in your answer.
Set 1
Identify the international treaties currently in effect relating to the exploration and use of space and space objects (including the moon, asteroids and other celestial bodies), and:
- Describe the legal principles agreed to by the parties in each treaty.
- Analyze how one such treaty applies to a specific current or proposed future commercial activity in space.
- Evaluate whether the treaty and its principles
- Provide adequate guidance to proponents of that commercial activity as to how their activities must be conducted.
- Unduly restrict the scope or nature of that commercial activity.
- Provide hyperlinks to online references relied on.
Set 2
Identify and describe current FAA pilot and medical certification requirements for civil spacecraft flight crewmembers and state whether you consider these adequate to assure flight safety, explaining your reasoning.
Provide hyperlinks to online resources relied on.
Set 3
For a nation or union of nations other than the U.S., identify a company currently launching or preparing to launch commercial cargo- and/or passenger-carrying spacecraft. Describe that company’s:
- Licensing
- Launch vehicle(s) and launch/ landing technique(s) (vertical or horizontal)
- Launch sites used
- Spacecraft
- Actual commercial cargo- and/or passenger-carrying spaceflights conducted to date
- Additional types of commercial spaceflight operations in development
Provide hyperlinks to online resources relied on.
Set 4
For a spacefaring nation or union of nations other than the U.S., identify and describe current government regulations for the qualifications and certification of civil spacecraft flight crewmembers and state whether you consider these adequate to assure flight safety, explaining your reasoning.
Provide hyperlinks to online resources relied on.