The weekly newsletter for Fed2 by ibgames

EARTHDATE: January 7, 2007

Official News - page 9

REAL LIFE NEWS: HEALTH AND SAFETY MANIA HITS SPACE TOURISH

by Hazed

The Federation Aviation Administration is insisting that space tourists who take sub-orbital jaunts will have to be told that it's risky. Well, duh! Did anyone thing it was guaranteed to be safe, when even crossing the road might end in disaster?

Right now, there are no companies offering sub-orbital flights to tourists, but commercial space-planes may not be all that far off, following the successful launch of SpaceShipOne, the X-Prize winning craft designed by Bert Rutan, and the plans Richard Branson has with his new Virgin Galactic company.

The rules state that passengers must be over 18, and must be informed that their journey is potentially a fatal one. Both passengers and crew must be prepared for dealing with emergency situations such as fire or a loss of cabin pressure. I guess an attractive member of staff will stand at the front of the space-plane and point out the emergency exits and explain how to put on a spacesuit and/or use a parachute! Not to mention telling you to blow your little whistle to attract attention...

These rules apply to flights departing from the US, so presumably anyone wishing to set up a similar service from elsewhere in the world won't be subject to the rules. Tourists will also only be permitted to fly as far as the edge of space, leaving the Russians as the only ones offering a service to the International Space Station.


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