Tells Space Innovators "I Think We Are On The Very Brink Of Commercial Human Spaceflight"

FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt spoke Wednesday to the Commercial Space Forum, painting a fairly rosy picture of the future for space entrepreneurs.

Babbitt compared today's level of commercial spaceflight to the early days of aviation. " They were the ones who blazed the trail that we still follow today," Babbitt said. "For commercial space, if you want to see the “early” trailblazers, look around this room right now. You are taking ideas and concepts that are still getting their sea legs and you’re creating an industry that by all accounts has a tremendous future in store."

Babbitt said the Obama administration's budget for next year will be a tremendous boon to commercial space companies. And he said one of the most exiting areas is space tourism. "I’ll be honest with you ­­— hearing the captain say, “There’s a spectacular, close-up view of the moon for passengers seated on the right side of the spacecraft” well, that’s something I’d like to hear in person. The idea of seeing the curvature of the Earth is downright tantalizing. Weightlessness used to be reserved for a pretty small circle we called “astronauts.”  Not any more."

Babbitt says he sees the United Sates on the very brink of commercial human space flight and regular sub-orbital space tourism. "Congress helped pave the way with legislation that allowed us to issue experimental launch permits that have spurred research and development," Babbitt said. "The Hill also outlined passenger safety steps with the “informed consent” approach. Now, the deal-breaker may just be the cost of a ticket. I hear numbers like 200 thousand dollars and that’s an awfully pricey ride. But I think all of us expect that’s going to come down and that the future of this industry will continue to evolve, just as aviation did."

Babbitt said commercial space flight and aviation have a lot in common. "Folding commercial space into the Federal Aviation Administration was a smart move. If you’re talking about launching an industry that’s going to use commercial airspace on its way to an altitude of 62 miles, you need to be concerned with the airliners and the general aviation aircraft that are criss-crossing the flight levels in between."

But Babbitt also sounded a familiar theme. He said that, as the administrator of the agency that will oversee the commercial space industry, his primary concern is safety. "We know from the hard lessons of aviation that a safety record is maintained only through vigilance and professionalism. If the commercial space industry is going to be a viable, enduring form of transportation, it must continue to take the same overall approach to safety that is used by commercial and general aviation."

Overall, Babbitt said he is very optimistic about the future of the commercial space industry. "Commercial space has a track record for achievement and a track record for safety. Given the investments that are being made nationwide, there’s little doubt in my mind that business and the taxpayer also see great promise. Count me as one who expects big things from commercial space. I’ve spoken to you now as a pilot and as a regulator. I’m eager to speak to you one day as a passenger."

FMI: www.faa.gov