There have been several commercial space leaps this summer, with Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin taking people to the frontiers of space who weren’t professional astronauts in any space agency, weren’t actively involved in the flight, were just passengers. This, in turn, caused many problems for the FAA, as it should have been (again) To determineWhat they accept as the limits of space, they had to figure out what applies to the passengers as well as the crew.
The 80-kilometer space boundary used by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has been drawn so far, and crossing it is one of the conditions for someone to call themselves an astronaut after doing the necessary training. United State astronaut award It has been awarded since the 1960s to all of its military officers who have reached an altitude of 80 kilometers during any test flight or sharp deployment. After SpaceShipOne’s first test flight in 2004, the FAA created a commercial astronaut.
“commercial astronaut”
An award that can be given to those who play a vital role in driving the vehicle.
The last criterion was added by the addition of 2021 to the conditions for awarding the award, whereby the crew must contribute to public safety or flight safety through their in-flight activities.
During the July flight of Richard Branson and SpaceShip Two, four pilots traveled on a sub-orbital plane and arguably did a great deal for SpaceShip Two’s takeoff, while wondering if they had improved overall safety and in-flight safety. For now, the FAA will accept a Virgin Galactic test flight, however, Jeff Bezos and New Shepard won’t necessarily make the first human test flight. During the Blue Origin space leap, some criteria set by the FAA were met only in the case of founder Jeff Bezos and former pilot Wally Funk, type space.
The Blue Origin rocket reached an altitude of 107 kilometers, exceeding the internationally recognized boundaries of space, the Kerman Line. However, in the rocket compartment, the passengers did not have to actively participate in anything while hopping into space, everything was controlled from the ground by Blue Origin engineers. Thus, passengers, as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration, did not meet the point of receiving the award to actively participate in the flight,
Contribute to the development of security.
In addition to tightening regulations, the FAA has created a new “Honorary Astronaut” award. Awarded to people who do not meet the criteria but who have made a significant contribution to the development of human commercial spaceflight, Space scientist writes. It is important to note that if someone receives commercial or honorary recognition as an astronaut from the Federal Aviation Administration, they only gain moral recognition. It has no legal or other consequences, unlike With themWho won the astronaut wings.
v. FAA, International Astronautical Association (In the English Association of Space Explorers, ASE for shortRewards everyone with a global astronaut badge. This badge, which is also designed for participants in orbital and suborbital flights, will be awarded to everyone who has reached the limit of space. However, as a member, ASE does not accept astronauts, only those who have orbited the Earth at least once with some spacecraft can enter the organization, so they made an orbital motion as an astronaut at an altitude of 100 km and reached the first. cosmic speed.
A 2013 statement by Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield aligns with ASE’s position. Then Hadfield guardian He said he welcomes Virgin Galactic’s development and commercial spaceflight, but passengers fly up and down, and that’s a real experience, but not a real spaceflight.
While neither Virgin Galactic nor Blue Origin have launched spaceflights to pay travelers yet, the two companies are making their badges and acknowledgments for those who have redeemed hundreds of thousands of dollars in flight tickets.
(Cover Photo: Blue Origins New Shepherd crew: Jeff Bezos, Wally Funk, Oliver Damon and Mark Bezos near the rocket on July 20, 2021. Photo: Joe Riddell/Getty Images)
