FAA proposes rules for future spaceliners

Commercial space travelers will need more than a ticket to board a flight if the Federal Aviation Administration has its way. They'll also need a signed consent form and possibly a doctor's OK.

Pilots of future spaceliners would have to have special training, a government-issued license and a clean bill of health.

The requirements are spelled out in proposed federal guidelines issued Friday by FAA. Agency officials said they are developing regulations to cover what amounts to a new mode of transportation and that space transportation companies are to use the guidelines in the interim.

Officials said last week that they expect the first commercial passenger space flights to blast off as soon as 2007. During the "adventure tourism" experience, passengers and crew would experience up to five minutes of weightlessness.

"We're not going to lose sight of safety," Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta said Thursday during a speech to aerospace supporters attending FAA's Commercial Space Transportation Conference in Washington.

But he noted that the guidelines respect space tourism as "uncharted territory" and allow operators to determine the best way to meet the standards. "We don't want to stifle innovation when you may very well find an approach that serves even better in the course of your design work," Mineta said.

Under the 2004 Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act passed in December, FAA has three years to come up with rules. If the agency misses the deadline, it will not be allowed to issue launch licenses.

The guidelines say that operators who want to take passengers into space must clearly lay out the risks and obtain informed consent from the participants before they fly. A passenger's consent also would indemnify the government in the event of an accident.

FAA also wants prospective passengers to provide written proof that they are up to the rigors of space flight and the training they will need in preparation for the launch. Pregnant women and others with certain medical conditions including cancer, communicable diseases and mental and behavioral disorders could be prohibited from flying, based on a review of their detailed medical histories

For pilots, a standard FAA license and medical certification would suffice. But the agency wants flight crew members to be specially trained in abort scenarios, emergency operations and procedures that direct the vehicle away from the public in the event of a problem during flight.

The guidelines also address in-cabin life support, fire detection and suppression, and spacecraft design characteristics.

Mineta encouraged feedback on the guidelines and said his goal is to ensure success for a fledgling industry already estimated to be worth $95 billion.