How Do We Deal With A Private Space Flight Tragedy?

With civilian space companies like Virgin Galactic, XCOR and Space Adventures preparing to commence their commercial space flight operations within the next few years, how well prepared will they and their customers be to deal with a tragic accident involving one of their spacecraft?

Accidents are inevitable. In the early days of aviation, especially in the delivery of mail, many fatal accidents occurred. In commercial passenger flights, there is a long list of accidents that have taken place for decades throughout the world. Each time any flight ready vehicle with passengers aboard flies, there is a calculated risk that something disastrous may happen. NASA lost two space shuttles, each containing seven astronauts. The ill-fated Challenger in January 1986 and Columbia in February 2003. The Russians also had their few fatalities over the years during space tests and missions. So inevitably the anticipation of a commercial suborbital space flight accident seems only a matter of time?

Scaled Composites, developer of Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo, while working on a rocket fueling during the summer of 2007, lost three men when an unexplained explosion happened. Everyone knows that there are many inherent dangers in space flight. Whether it's with the vehicle, the engines, fuel, pilot error or perhaps something unexplained, tragedy can strike and create the publicity that further underscores the risks assumed upon going into space. Part of the thrill and adventure of going to the edge of space is knowing how the slightest human error could spell tragedy! For some it's a deterrent. For others, it's part of the excitement and draw to accept the challenge with the risk.

Ever since the new beginings of space companies, the government and the media are prepared to handle any untimely accident or fatality, no one will be that surprised. However, as with the space shuttles, it may create a serious delay in further commercial space flight plans, especially if the cause is not clearly defined. Sales could be dramatically effected... those awaiting to either take their flight or planning to register. The primary reason as to why no other space flights, as of yet, have begun, since it has been over six years from the successful flights of SpaceShipOne, that brought man safely to the edge of space and back, is safety. The slow process of testing and re-testing every phase of the engines, the vehicle, the fuel and the mastery of flying the spacecraft, requires each step to progress within whatever time it takes to meet the highest rigid safety standards available. There is NO ROOM FOR ERROR. Every step forward must be thoroughly tested and re-tested successfully before the final testing phase begins. That of actually flight testing the vehicles into suborbital space a number of times without any incident or problems that could create a life threatening issue. Enough successful testing will permit each company then to proceed with confidence. To date, by the summer of 2011 it is anticipated that both Virgin Galactic and XCOR vehicles will be flight testing in order to begin their start up civilian flights sometime in early 2012.

Our race to space is only a safely race as any mishap can spell tragedy. Therefore, whatever amount of time it takes as proof of the space vehicles flight readiness, to assure a safe return, far exceeds all other considerations. I'm planning to go, are you? Even if there may be a 2% fatality rate established, as with NASA, I like the odds and I'd rather be flying towards space than worrying about what if and when.


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Mitchell J Schultz is a Space Tourism Specialst developing a space travel agency to provide information about the new Lynx spaceplane.
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