> Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 13:46:39 -0500
>
> Does anyone think H.R. 3752 (the space tourism bill) will pass, and if
> so,
> does it do enough?
>
> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:2:./temp/~c108baahzX::

Good news!
I think HR 3752 passed the House around the same time you posted that
message.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 39 (402 yes, 1 no, 30 not voting)
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll039.xml

The bill is important because it defines clear rules within the FAA for
regulating commercial space flight, including flying passengers. The
current uncertainty has discouraged investors.

To give you an idea of the crazy state of regulations.. Burt Rutan's
last test of his suborbital vehicle only ran his rocket motor for a few
seconds because his permit was granted under the High Powered Model
Rocket rules! (That is one hell of a model rocket!) The total impulse
of his rocket was limited by the largest allowed model rocket engine.
Is that wacky, or what? Anyway, the FAA is working on granting him an
experimental flight license for later this year.

[If we make a computer/internet analogy, it as though someone had to
spell out in regulations that companies were 'allowed to create web
pages', because the internet had originally been created for government
use. (Aren't we glad we jumped over that step in the internet?) It is
the international treaties that require the US government to regulate
all space launches.]

So, this is a good bill for space advocates. However, many good bills
have passed in the House.. and then nothing happens in Senate.

I just finished participating in ProSpace March Storm, where about 40
people visited about 150 congressional offices. (I visited about 5
Senate offices and 4 offices in the House. ) There seems to be broad
support for this bill in the Senate, but it still needs some senators
to champion it.

The passage in the House, gives us a chance. If you are interested in
this step toward space development, here is how you could help:

1. Write their Congressional representative to thank them for voting
for HR 3752. Tell them it is important.

To check-out your representative:
http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm

Confirm they voted for HR 3752 on the list here (402 yes, 1 no,
30 not voting).
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll039.xml

(No, I have no idea why Rep. Paul (R-TX) voted "no". :-)

2. Send a copy of that letter of thanks to your two Senators, and ask
them to support passage in the Senate.

As soon as I find out if there is a senate bill, and who the sponsors
are, I will let you know.

It would also help if supportive entrepreneurial space companies (in
different parts of the country) sent letters to local newspapers
thanking the local Representatives for passing these bills. Congressmen
always remember good publicity.

- Eric Dahlstrom

PS. I just tried sending web-form emails to my congressman (Moran) and
2 VA senators. We'll see if I get any reaction.
It seems regular mail to Congress gets stuck in testing these days, and
they prefer the web-form emails. Those web sites can also be found via
Vote-Smart.org.

Thanks for responding. I was beginning to think (surprisingly so) that
there was no interest in this legislation. Or perhaps we've just been
teased too many times before with inaction in one house or the other as you
mentioned. One of the reasons I brought it up is that while I think the
bill is a great start, it has a few flaws (I'll go into detail in my next
post - too little time at the moment for the thoroughness this topic
deserves) which is why I asked whether it went far enough. Still, even a
baby step is better than standing still.

Just speculation as to why the House Rep from Texas might have voted against
the bill -- changing the status quo could alter funding levels for NASA as
well as distributing jobs that are currently located in his home state.
When I get time, I'll check the House register to see if he voiced any
opposition to the bill during debate.

DBJ

> Date: Thu, 4 Mar 2004 13:46:39 -0500
>
> Does anyone think H.R. 3752 (the space tourism bill) will pass, and if
> so,
> does it do enough?
>
> http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?c108:2:./temp/~c108baahzX::

Good news!
I think HR 3752 passed the House around the same time you posted that
message.

FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 39 (402 yes, 1 no, 30 not voting)
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll039.xml

The bill is important because it defines clear rules within the FAA for
regulating commercial space flight, including flying passengers. The
current uncertainty has discouraged investors.

To give you an idea of the crazy state of regulations.. Burt Rutan's
last test of his suborbital vehicle only ran his rocket motor for a few
seconds because his permit was granted under the High Powered Model
Rocket rules! (That is one hell of a model rocket!) The total impulse
of his rocket was limited by the largest allowed model rocket engine.
Is that wacky, or what? Anyway, the FAA is working on granting him an
experimental flight license for later this year.

[If we make a computer/internet analogy, it as though someone had to
spell out in regulations that companies were 'allowed to create web
pages', because the internet had originally been created for government
use. (Aren't we glad we jumped over that step in the internet?) It is
the international treaties that require the US government to regulate
all space launches.]

So, this is a good bill for space advocates. However, many good bills
have passed in the House.. and then nothing happens in Senate.

I just finished participating in ProSpace March Storm, where about 40
people visited about 150 congressional offices. (I visited about 5
Senate offices and 4 offices in the House. ) There seems to be broad
support for this bill in the Senate, but it still needs some senators
to champion it.

The passage in the House, gives us a chance. If you are interested in
this step toward space development, here is how you could help:

1. Write their Congressional representative to thank them for voting
for HR 3752. Tell them it is important.

To check-out your representative:
http://www.vote-smart.org/index.htm

Confirm they voted for HR 3752 on the list here (402 yes, 1 no,
30 not voting).
http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2004/roll039.xml

(No, I have no idea why Rep. Paul (R-TX) voted "no". :-)

2. Send a copy of that letter of thanks to your two Senators, and ask
them to support passage in the Senate.

As soon as I find out if there is a senate bill, and who the sponsors
are, I will let you know.

It would also help if supportive entrepreneurial space companies (in
different parts of the country) sent letters to local newspapers
thanking the local Representatives for passing these bills. Congressmen
always remember good publicity.

- Eric Dahlstrom

PS. I just tried sending web-form emails to my congressman (Moran) and
2 VA senators. We'll see if I get any reaction.
It seems regular mail to Congress gets stuck in testing these days, and
they prefer the web-form emails. Those web sites can also be found via
Vote-Smart.org.

FYI - Here is the letter I wrote to my two Virginia senators and
Congressman.
- Eric
Dear Senator Allen,

Below is a message I sent to Congressman Moran, thanking him for his
vote. I urge you to support (or consider co-sponsoring) the companion
legislation to H.R. 3752 whenever it is introduced in the Senate.

Thank you,
Eric Dahlstrom, Arlington VA
Dear Mr. Moran,

Thank you for your vote to pass H.R. 3752, The Commercial Space Launch
Amendments Act, on March 4.

This bill is far more than a simple clarification of FAA regulations.
Clear and flexible regulations are a necessary step to encourage
private investment in commercial space vehicles. With your vote, you
have acted to remove barriers to the development of the commercial
space industry.

Over decades, we have invested billions of dollars in space research.
Now we need to receive the full economic benefit from that government
investment. Your vote is important to develop economic activity and
create jobs in commercial space travel. It is important for the
country, and especially to people in Virginia. As you know, the space
tourism company [http://www.spaceadventures.com|Space Adventures] is
based in Arlington, VA.

If a similar bill can pass in the Senate, we should see immediate
benefit from this legislation. The regulations will even help the
groups competing for the [http://www.xprize.org|X-prize] (3 people to
100 kilometers altitude). Some of these private spacecraft plan to
launch, and try to win the prize, sometime this year.

Companies are getting ready, and the rockets are being built. If this
bill becomes law, then the government can demonstrate it shares this
exciting vision of the future. I hope Congress will be able to share in
the glory of a successful private rocket launch in just a few months.

Thanks again for having the vision to help create this future by voting
for H.R. 3752.

Eric Dahlstrom

PS. I will be sending a copy of this message to our Virginia senators,
to request their support.

--- In ssi_list@... "Donald Brewer, Jr."
> Thanks for responding. I was beginning to think (surprisingly so)
that
> there was no interest in this legislation. Or perhaps we've just
been
> teased too many times before with inaction in one house or the
other as you
> mentioned. One of the reasons I brought it up is that while I
think the
> bill is a great start, it has a few flaws (I'll go into detail in
my next
> post - too little time at the moment for the thoroughness this
topic
> deserves) which is why I asked whether it went far enough. Still,
even a
> baby step is better than standing still.
>
> Just speculation as to why the House Rep from Texas might have
voted against
> the bill -- changing the status quo could alter funding levels for
NASA as
> well as distributing jobs that are currently located in his home
state.
> When I get time, I'll check the House register to see if he voiced
any
> opposition to the bill during debate.
>
> DBJ

Note that the "rep from Texas" is not just any congressman, it was
Ron Paul - the most Libertarian congressman in the house. Somehow I
doubt that he would vote against a bill because there wasn't enough
pork to go 'round.

Ed

--- In ssi_list@... "Ed Minchau"

> Note that the "rep from Texas" is not just any congressman, it was
> Ron Paul - the most Libertarian congressman in the house. Somehow
> I doubt that he would vote against a bill because there wasn't
> enough pork to go 'round.
>
> Ed

You ever hear the phrase that politics makes strange bedfellows?

Rep. Paul is one of 50 co-sponsors to a bill introduced by the ONLY
SOCIALIST in the US Congress, Bernard Sanders.

http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/employment/0,39020648,39148038,00.ht
m

TangoMan

--- In ssi_list@... "victoriatangoman"
> --- In ssi_list@... "Ed Minchau"
>
> > Note that the "rep from Texas" is not just any congressman, it
was
> > Ron Paul - the most Libertarian congressman in the house.
Somehow
> > I doubt that he would vote against a bill because there
wasn't
> > enough pork to go 'round.
> >
> > Ed
>
> You ever hear the phrase that politics makes strange bedfellows?
>
> Rep. Paul is one of 50 co-sponsors to a bill introduced by the
ONLY
> SOCIALIST in the US Congress, Bernard Sanders.

He's also the only congressman whose seat will be won by acclamation
this November - there is nobody else running in his district.

BTW, there are over 400 Socialists in the House.

Ed

>
http://news.zdnet.co.uk/business/employment/0,39020648,39148038,00.ht