Leonard David's INSIDE OUTER SPACE

While space travel by private citizens is still evolving and making headlines, it seems likely commercial space travel by off-the-street astronauts could conceivably become more routine in the years ahead.

A new RAND report focuses on how and when the spaceflight industry should be regulated at a federal level.

Voluntary standards related to commercial spaceflight that could affect participant safety have been introduced, “but significant work remains,” the report notes.

Polaris Dawn crew members (left to right): Anna Menon, mission specialist and medical officer, Scott Poteet, mission pilot, Jared Isaacman, mission commander, and Sarah Gillis, mission specialist.
Image credit: Polaris Program/John Kraus

Five key factors

For one, the readiness of the commercial space industry for regulation, or for further development of voluntary consensus standards, does not only depend on the progress of adopting standards and meeting metrics.

The report explains that regulatory readiness depends also on five key factors:

— access to, and understanding of, the regulatory process;

— security of regulatory support;

— the effectiveness of the regulatory support for the technology;

— environmental effects, costs, and security issues related to the regulation;

— and the ability to pass the regulation.

To read this new RAND report — Assessing the Readiness for Human Commercial Spaceflight Safety Regulations – Charting a Trajectory from Revolutionary to Routine Travel” – go to:

https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA2466-1.html