I discuss this in the book. It’s even closer in space.
6 thoughts on “Death At Sea”
It’s never very far from the air, either. There’s an old saying, “Air regulations are written in blood.” Most good regulations are the result of lessons that were learned – usually the hard way. Commercial spaceflight won’t (or shouldn’t) be any different. Accidents will happen and lessons will be learned. From those lessons, appropriate regulations are possible to improve safety, at least until the next accident. Commercial spaceflight has one big advantage over maritime and aircraft – we’ve been flying rockets, launching satellites, and launching people for decades before the commercial operators are able to establish operations. Many of the lessons have already been learned, often the hard way. It isn’t as if the commercial operators are having to invent a lot of new technology or start from scratch. Even so, with new systems, there’s always the potential for new types of accidents.
Rand, I confess I have not yet read your book but I plan to.
From the North River Steamboat (aka the Clermont) to the Pulaski and the ensuing steamboat regulation took 31 years from 1807 to 1838. Nearly 1 generation for the technology to establish itself, to the point where regulation would no longer be meaningless.
For the breakout into Space I worry that our full-time 24/7 government and media will not be this patient. The rush to regulate will be immediate upon the first mishap. Especially if non-participants are harmed. Safe is not an option for those who willingly accepting the risks. Government will be hard pressed to ignore legal “remedies” to be imposed when goaded by those not only unwilling to accept the risks for themselves, but worse, would consider themselves to be immorally complicit if they did not seek immediate redress against such activities through “activism”.
This is the main reason I fear that the US will never lead in Space again. Those of us in the US will have to be content to illegally watch the citizens of another country conduct the breakout into space from the safety and comfort of our easy chairs. Our eternal infernal twins of big Government and Media having made us all “safe” not only from the insanity of people in Space but from all such forms of “viral data”.
Especially if non-participants are harmed.
That is already being pretty strictly regulated. The issue pertains to participants, not uninvolved third parties.
People who don’t follow the safety regulations will endanger the passengers, and 3rd parties.
Apparently the MV Sovol was rated for 900 tons of cargo and was carrying 3600 tons of cargo.
Without a little bit of police enforcement, people will cut the corners until tragedy happens.
This was clearly a preventable accident.
I agree, regulations, laws and mandates have little effect if they are not enforced (see Obama). The question is not if enforcement is needed but how much. Just like regulations, laws and mandates; the argument is not whether we need them but how much is needed.
Most regulations come not from petti-fogging busybody bureacrats but from Insurance companies.
When you buy an electrical appliance marked UL, it’s largely because the insurance companies wanted
some sense of control over electrical fires. The National Electrical Code? It’s written by the National Fire Protection Association. NFPA is heavily involved with the insurance industry.
International Building code? Again by banks and insurers who wanted some sense of what they were
insuring or lending against.
There are some truly ridiculous regs dreamed up by annoying council members or bureaucrats, but, most of them come down as ways to manage insurance risk.
It’s never very far from the air, either. There’s an old saying, “Air regulations are written in blood.” Most good regulations are the result of lessons that were learned – usually the hard way. Commercial spaceflight won’t (or shouldn’t) be any different. Accidents will happen and lessons will be learned. From those lessons, appropriate regulations are possible to improve safety, at least until the next accident. Commercial spaceflight has one big advantage over maritime and aircraft – we’ve been flying rockets, launching satellites, and launching people for decades before the commercial operators are able to establish operations. Many of the lessons have already been learned, often the hard way. It isn’t as if the commercial operators are having to invent a lot of new technology or start from scratch. Even so, with new systems, there’s always the potential for new types of accidents.
Rand, I confess I have not yet read your book but I plan to.
From the North River Steamboat (aka the Clermont) to the Pulaski and the ensuing steamboat regulation took 31 years from 1807 to 1838. Nearly 1 generation for the technology to establish itself, to the point where regulation would no longer be meaningless.
For the breakout into Space I worry that our full-time 24/7 government and media will not be this patient. The rush to regulate will be immediate upon the first mishap. Especially if non-participants are harmed. Safe is not an option for those who willingly accepting the risks. Government will be hard pressed to ignore legal “remedies” to be imposed when goaded by those not only unwilling to accept the risks for themselves, but worse, would consider themselves to be immorally complicit if they did not seek immediate redress against such activities through “activism”.
This is the main reason I fear that the US will never lead in Space again. Those of us in the US will have to be content to illegally watch the citizens of another country conduct the breakout into space from the safety and comfort of our easy chairs. Our eternal infernal twins of big Government and Media having made us all “safe” not only from the insanity of people in Space but from all such forms of “viral data”.
Especially if non-participants are harmed.
That is already being pretty strictly regulated. The issue pertains to participants, not uninvolved third parties.
People who don’t follow the safety regulations will endanger the passengers, and 3rd parties.
Apparently the MV Sovol was rated for 900 tons of cargo and was carrying 3600 tons of cargo.
Without a little bit of police enforcement, people will cut the corners until tragedy happens.
This was clearly a preventable accident.
I agree, regulations, laws and mandates have little effect if they are not enforced (see Obama). The question is not if enforcement is needed but how much. Just like regulations, laws and mandates; the argument is not whether we need them but how much is needed.
Most regulations come not from petti-fogging busybody bureacrats but from Insurance companies.
When you buy an electrical appliance marked UL, it’s largely because the insurance companies wanted
some sense of control over electrical fires. The National Electrical Code? It’s written by the National Fire Protection Association. NFPA is heavily involved with the insurance industry.
International Building code? Again by banks and insurers who wanted some sense of what they were
insuring or lending against.
There are some truly ridiculous regs dreamed up by annoying council members or bureaucrats, but, most of them come down as ways to manage insurance risk.