Ok all you folks lining up to take sub-orbital space flights originating in Virginia--beware that if the rocket ship provider launching you atop a couple million gallons of explosive fuel screws up and kills you, you might not be able to sue them for their carelessness.
I kid you not. There is a bill that has been introduced in the Virginia General Assembly that would shield spaceflight entities providing spaceflight activities to any participant in a suborbital flight" from lawsuits, except for gross negligence.
While the bill is silly on its face, it does show the mounting problem of legislatures granting immunity for negligence and carelessness to special interest groups. After all, is there really a Rocket Ship Liability Crisis in Virginia?
Delegate Terry Kilgore is apparently responsible for this joke, but it is backed by The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS, get it?)
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Hi Ben,Please permit me to share one thought: "They all laughed at Christopher Columbus too." You are entitled to think of the commercial space sector is a joke and certainly you have the right to that view, but I do commend for your reading:More ... The technology being advanced by the nascent commercial space industry will contribute to aerospace innovations. The Federal law already provides for similar waivers of liability against the federal government for issuance of the launch license to aloft commercial suborbital passengers or commercial astronauts to service the space station post spave shuttle retirement in 2010. Would you be interested in participation in a forum on this topic and interact on the topic of commercial spaceflights at some point in the near future? The Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport is NOT backing the legislation, per se. But the legislation helps put Virginia on par with New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas and others seeking to develop commercial space launch business in their states. I hope this does provide some measure of clarification even if deemed funny. It is good to have your interest as a fellow Virginian.
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