Clark Lindsey deconstructs the latest argument that human spaceflight vehicles must be “certified.”
And yes, I have arrived safely in LA. Without my luggage (meant to last a month). Again.
At least this time it wasn’t a non-stop, so they have the excuse of missing the connection in Dallas.
I read just last week (hope the link works) that Diamond Aircraft Industries spent about $64 million to obtain European EASA Type Certification for a turbocharged diesel airplane engine that produces less than 200 HP. Imagine how much it would cost to certify a hybrid rocket engine for use on a vehicle like SS2. Now, add to that the cost of certifying the airframes (WK2 and SS2), the avionics, and every other component. If space tourism vehicles were held to the same certification standards as private planes, it would probably cost at least several hundred million dollars to certify the vehicles.
But Rand, imagine a world where airlines had to be certified! Surely in such a world your bags would never have gotten misplaced…
Cost of Certification of private aircraft long ago exceeded its benefit. There are lots of homebuilts flying whose safety record after the initial 25 or 40 hour test period is only marginally worse than that of factory built certified aircraft and in any case those who fly in them voluntarily assume the risk.
Now there’s a radical thought for the promoters of the nanny state.