From my perspective, you are asking nonsensical questions.

Your answers don’t seem to have much basis in fact.

They only seem that way to people unfamiliar with the facts.

Didn’t the original 2010 Obama space plan have a significantly larger commercial crew budget, slashed down to a paltry sum?

I wouldn’t say a “paltry” sum — it’s less than requested, but still significant. But this question is a non-sequitur in the context of the discussion.

Isn’t Virgin Galactic selling early reservations for flights out of Spaceport America — a virtual joy ride line???

They are selling research flights. They just sold three to NASA. And yes, there are also hundreds signed up to go into space. But no one is “waiting out in the desert” for them.

It’s my experience that when people dismiss questions as irrelevant without responding or substantiating their opinion, there is something to the question that needs resolution.

No one was ever thinking that.

And are there really all those space tourists out there in the New Mexico desert just waiting in line for their joy ride?

No one is waiting in the New Mexico desert. No one thinks there are.

Does eliminating any liability do anything to inspire more tourists???

No, and that’s not the purpose. And they’re not “eliminating any liability.”

When are you going to ask a question that’s actually relevant to the topic?

I’m not a fan of nuisance lawsuits by any means – think the legal system has become an ATM for too many folks – but like much ‘blanket’ legislation, this is a bad idea. As a provider if I’m forced to choose between expenditures focused on mission assurance vs. those necessary to fly (either from a business or engineering/mission validation sense) – and I know I’m protected by statute – it simply becomes too easy to let it slide – AT THE BEGINNING. That’s not about malevolence or being a greedy, money-grubbing company, it’s just about human nature under circumstances where significant financial pressures are in play as they usually are before revenues begin to flow.

Over time of course poor controls will eat the lunch of the company(ies) involved; despite the point of view of lots of conspiracy theorists, commercial companies are not all about margin; as long as there are such things as markets (even gov’t diluted ones) the markets will drive commercial offerors toward safety.

But the beginning is a fragile time, and while I have no doubt that the initiators of such legislation think they’re helping (particularly helping their states to compete) I am somewhat wary of this approach.

And anyone who pays $200,000 for a 30 minute suborbital flight is indeed a “loon”….

That is an opinion (and not a well-founded one), not a fact.

There are plenty of space “ignoramuses” that vote, so I suspect my opinion is at the very least as valid as your’s, so we will just have to wait and see who would get the blame for a space tourism tragedy….

You may think my pseudonym is stupid, but I my newborn daughter does not…

And anyone who pays $200,000 for a 30 minute suborbital flight is indeed a “loon”….

What better way to encourage garage rocket mechanics to fly rich loons into space than to tell them they don’t have to worry about getting sued?

The issue is not whether to encourage them (they already have plenty of motivation), but whether or not large public deep-pocket corporations like Boeing will be discouraged.

Did the commercial aviation industry every get legislation like that? I’m really asking… I don’t know, but I doubt it.

It was called the Warsaw Convention. Learn a little history instead of flaunting your ignorance.

So, it comes down to when the rich (and presumably famous) loons die, who will be blamed??? Probably NASA and the FAA.

Only ignoramuses would blame NASA, who has nothing to do with this.

By the way, I don’t think you’re in a very good position to be calling other people loons.

Its the rich loons money and if they want to spend it on a sub-orbital flight at their own risk that is their business. If the voters of New Mexico thinks that encouraging them in this is to the benefit of their economy, that is their decision.

There are other reasons for the New Mexico launch facility, the Virginia launch facility, and the Alaska launch facility than private sector launches. Those launch needs are federal decisions. As long as the federal decisions on those needs are not influenced by the states, then what the states do to make those launches as easy and valuable as possible is up to them.

When in Las Cruces be sure to enjoy the local sweet chile relish.