From Astronauts to Astro-Noughts
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From Astronauts to Astro-Noughts
How badly will this damage Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin’s business?
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a...atus-hbd2m80c3
America reduces space tourists to astro-noughts
Passengers on Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos’s suborbital thrill rides will not earn official status as astronauts solely for going to space, after the US government changed the rules to protect the kudos of the title.
The Federal Aviation Administration revised its criteria for awarding its prestigious Commercial Space Astronaut Wings on the day Bezos and three others flew into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket and nine days after Sir Richard Branson went there and back on his Virgin Galactic rocketplane.
The change leaves open a loophole that could allow Branson, Bezos and their crewmates to still qualify, but could block their future customers, including research scientists, from earning the honour.
“In order to maintain the prestige of Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, the FAA may further refine the eligibility requirements at any time it deems appropriate,” the FAA said, amid a rapidly changing landscape for the commercial space industry.
The programme was created in 2004 after Scaled Composites, an aerospace company in California, sent SpaceShipOne, a privately crewed rocketship, across the space boundary, becoming the first to do so and earning commercial astronaut wings for co-pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie.
In 2018, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, piloted by flying ace Mark Stucky and former government astronaut CJ Sturckow, became the second…..
The programme honours those who have commanded, piloted or served as an active crew member on a privately funded spacecraft on an FAA-licensed flight above 50 miles altitude.
Crew members must now additionally “demonstrate activities during flight that were essential to public safety or contributed to human space flight safety”, potentially excluding those who ride purely for thrills.
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/a...atus-hbd2m80c3
America reduces space tourists to astro-noughts
Passengers on Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos’s suborbital thrill rides will not earn official status as astronauts solely for going to space, after the US government changed the rules to protect the kudos of the title.
The Federal Aviation Administration revised its criteria for awarding its prestigious Commercial Space Astronaut Wings on the day Bezos and three others flew into space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket and nine days after Sir Richard Branson went there and back on his Virgin Galactic rocketplane.
The change leaves open a loophole that could allow Branson, Bezos and their crewmates to still qualify, but could block their future customers, including research scientists, from earning the honour.
“In order to maintain the prestige of Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, the FAA may further refine the eligibility requirements at any time it deems appropriate,” the FAA said, amid a rapidly changing landscape for the commercial space industry.
The programme was created in 2004 after Scaled Composites, an aerospace company in California, sent SpaceShipOne, a privately crewed rocketship, across the space boundary, becoming the first to do so and earning commercial astronaut wings for co-pilots Mike Melvill and Brian Binnie.
In 2018, Virgin Galactic’s SpaceShipTwo, piloted by flying ace Mark Stucky and former government astronaut CJ Sturckow, became the second…..
The programme honours those who have commanded, piloted or served as an active crew member on a privately funded spacecraft on an FAA-licensed flight above 50 miles altitude.
Crew members must now additionally “demonstrate activities during flight that were essential to public safety or contributed to human space flight safety”, potentially excluding those who ride purely for thrills.
Avoid imitations
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Flying in the cabin doesn’t make you a pilot.
Gnome de PPRuNe
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Space Tourist. Though the VG and BO, impressive feats though they are, are hardly tours.
Friend said yesterday "if you had the cash would you do it?" No but if a few orbits of our planet was possible and I could afford that I would...
Friend said yesterday "if you had the cash would you do it?" No but if a few orbits of our planet was possible and I could afford that I would...
It's a bit like airline passengers would want their own pilot wings after each flight in the cabin. However the first capsule astronauts were exactly the same although higher pre-qualified and taking much higher risks. They would be called canned meat, apes did the first ride and such back then.
Funny how rich people still want this right stuff aura. Is it for the car keys-chain and the next pub visit?
Funny how rich people still want this right stuff aura. Is it for the car keys-chain and the next pub visit?
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These stunts , which is what they are , are the emblematic examples of all that is wrong with the Facebook/Instagram/ Twitter universe.
They mean precisely nothing.
Musk wants to go to Mars.
And people believe him.
Let’s see a Delta-v flight plan for a return mission.
Uhmmm…… ? Silence ?
It ain’t happening.
Only gets traction because the media are stupid.
They mean precisely nothing.
Musk wants to go to Mars.
And people believe him.
Let’s see a Delta-v flight plan for a return mission.
Uhmmm…… ? Silence ?
It ain’t happening.
Only gets traction because the media are stupid.
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N4790P
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My view is Bezos should get them. He’s funded the operation, he was the first passenger to prove it was safe, and has said himself the New Shepard is just a stepping stone to greater things, such as orbital flights. He used his own money to recover the Apollo 11 F1 engines, and is a confirmed space nut. I think both he and Musk will be seen by history as space pioneers in the years to come.
But to be honest I don’t think he cares about wings from the FAA.
But to be honest I don’t think he cares about wings from the FAA.
In any event they were as you say all mindful of the risks..
If you don't drive the spaceship, then you're not really an astronaut!
Payload specialists, even our Tim Peake; did they actually control or manoeuvre the vehicle?? Not sure about the Russians, but apart from the 2 peeps in the front of the Shuttle, the rest are just ‘crew’ or pax. 🤔
Payload specialists, even our Tim Peake; did they actually control or manoeuvre the vehicle?? Not sure about the Russians, but apart from the 2 peeps in the front of the Shuttle, the rest are just ‘crew’ or pax. 🤔
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NASA defines an astronaut as a qualified crew member, meaning that you have passed their selected program. So it doesn’t mean that you actually have been in space, nor that you will ever go into space. It could be that you are waiting for a flight assignment, but maybe will never get the opportunity.
Is it suggested that Branson, Bezos et al have awarded themselves FAA Space Astronaut wings? If a commercial organisation wants to call people who have ridden to space (or their version of it) in one of their craft an astronaut and give them wings, who can stop them? I doubt NASA would be confused by the difference between FAA Commercial Space Astronaut and Virgin Galactic Astronaut any more than a captain of an airliner would be confused with a PPL.
As kids we all had Pan Am's Junior Clipper Pilot wings.
These stunts , which is what they are , are the emblematic examples of all that is wrong with the Facebook/Instagram/ Twitter universe.
They mean precisely nothing.
Musk wants to go to Mars.
And people believe him.
Let’s see a Delta-v flight plan for a return mission.
Uhmmm…… ? Silence ?
It ain’t happening.
Only gets traction because the media are stupid.
They mean precisely nothing.
Musk wants to go to Mars.
And people believe him.
Let’s see a Delta-v flight plan for a return mission.
Uhmmm…… ? Silence ?
It ain’t happening.
Only gets traction because the media are stupid.
There is plenty of info re deltaV and flight plans. If you care to look.
The Federal Aviation Administration revised its criteria
It was always said when Branson was pulled out of the water after the failed Atlantic Challenger effort that there was one crew member missing, and that was Chay Blyth’s dog , to bite the grinning pullover if he touched anything. So it may have been a bonus that he didn’t actually touch anything during the “flight”. As for profligate wastes of money, ask Don Cameron of Cameron balloons how out of pocket he was, and remains, after the other stunt that RB was involved with.