View Single Post
  #17   Spotlight this post!  
Unread 07-10-2004, 16:17
Marc P. Marc P. is offline
I fix stuff.
AKA: βetamarc
no team
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Rookie Year: 1999
Location: Watertown, CT
Posts: 997
Marc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond reputeMarc P. has a reputation beyond repute
Send a message via AIM to Marc P.
Re: SpaceShipOne captures X-prize!

Quote:
Originally Posted by catlin101

It baffles me that people have so much mistrust for corporations, when they are the reason that we have everything we have that is good. Computers for instance, are largely unregualted, and look at the phenominal performance and cost increases that have ocurred. And, by the way, most companies are actively taking actions such as creating lead-free products on their own, not becuase of government mandates. Supermarkets are another great example. There's a reason why they don't sell you rotton food, and its not regulation. Its because if they sold you rotton food, then you'd never go there again. There are so many stories of people from the former soviet union, and even people from somewhat socialist european economies, who come to the United States and are absoluteley flabbergasted at the selection and cost of our supermarkets. If less regulation was used across the board, all industries would see this sort of improvement. Space travel is no exception. If we want to see tickets to space for less the one hundred thousand, with safety and reliability, the thing to do is just tell the regulatory agencies to ease off. Of course, there are some checks that do need to be made-- but not nearly the number that currently exist.
There's a pretty good discussion on regulation going on on
Slashdot concerning space regulation. The general understanding is there is definitely a need to regulate, simply because it is such a dangerous undertaking. The examples given do not necessarily apply to space travel, simply because the stakes are much higher. Computers weren't regulated because their typical use doesn't have the potential to kill anyone. A spaceship is capable of not only killing passengers, but anyone unfortunate enough to be on the ground if one were to come crashing down.

Generally speaking, companies do everything in their power to prevent injury to their customers. Injury and death are simply not good for business. However, without some form of regulation, there would be no minimum safety requirements companies would have to meet before launching people to the stars. If that were the case, anyone could build a rocket out of the trash can in their backyard. Charge cheap rates and have passengers sign a waiver disclaiming you from all liability, and things can get ugly really fast.

The goal of regulation is to prevent problems before they happen. Supermarkets and restaurants are regulated to an extent- they have to pass federal health inspections every so often to keep their license to sell food. Any store caught selling bad food is immediately subject to federal inspections and evaluations. Wherever there is the potential to cause harm to innocent people, there is regulation. Cars are a great example- perfectly safe when used properly and held to strict standards and government safety checks, deadly and dangerous if something goes wrong. Private spaceflight is a new industry, and has plenty of hurdles to overcome before becoming as widely accepted as planes, boats, and cars, but regulation is a necessary measure to keep things safe.
Reply With Quote