Space Access 2007

Overview
Thu 22 Mar afternoon
Thu 22 Mar evening
Fri 23 Mar morning
Fri 23 Mar afternoon
Fri 23 Mar evening
Sat 24 Mar morning
Sat 24 Mar afternoon

These are notes I took from the presentations at the Space Access 2007 Conference in Phoenix, Arizona.

Thursday Evening, March 22, 2007

8:20 Ken Davidian, "NASA ESMD's Approach to NewSpace"

• ESMD technology transfer model involves a "technology transfer agent"
• summary of NASA contracts with NewSpace companies
• "NASA is supportive of NewSpace"

9 pm Lee Valentine, Space Studies Institute

• long-term research stuff which seems to have some possible feasibility
• solar sail design, engineering with nonterrestrial materials, etc
• claims to be the oldest NewSpace corporation

9:15 Doug Griffith, Space Law, "Spacecraft Liability and Insurance"

• "an enduring, lasting risk management architecture for your company"
• liability landscape for personal spaceflight companies not defined by CSLAA, Human Spaceflight FARs or existing "space law"
• it will look like state tort (personal injury) law
• probably the state you launch from, but maybe not always, for negligence, product liability
• probably like precedents and laws applying to aviation accidents
• enduring risk management architecture
  • operational architecture: accident prevention

• reasonable safety procedures, crew selection, customer training
  • legal architecture: lawsuit prevention

• choice of spaceport state for favorable law
  • VA has immunity for companies at its spaceport

• public relations
  • a lesson the airlines have learned the hard way
  • have procedures ready ahead of time, revise when experience dictates

• operational architecture II: win the lawsuit

• take steps to make lawsuits unlikely to succeed
• mostly the same sound operating procedures for preventing accident
  • entity architecture: protection of principals by corporate structure
  • insurance architecture: protection of assets by insurance

• spaceflight insurance: Space Tourism insurance white paper available

9:30 Bob Steinke, SpeedUp, LLC entrant

• "hoverbike" - jet ski sized with fly-by-wire
• inspired by rocket belt, but with longer duration
• form of space tourism as a space-themed experience
• hydrogen peroxide monopropellant
• NG-LLC vehicle is a proof of concept, pursuit of investment funding
• progress: 20lbf engine tested at Frontier Astronautics
• video of main engine test
• proprietary catalyst

9:45 Rick Wills, University of Dayton Advanced Rocket Team

• rocket building projects at the university
• lots of support from local businesses for building it