The Commercial Space Industry

1. Historical background: When did the idea of "space tourism" begin? How has it developed? What have been the hurdles and accomplishments? Start in the 1960's - present day.

1962 was the first launch of a satellite by a private company. The Telstar was a communication satellite that traveled in orbit about 3,000 miles above the earths surface. The company that launched Telstar was called Bell Laboratories. (Communications Satellite Industry2017)

In 1990, Congress actually passed a law that allowed private companies to conduct there own space launches. (Stromberg 2014)This new law ordered NASA to pay these private companies their payloads into space when possible.(Stromberg 2014) I think this law is very important and interesting to me because it kind of shows the dying of NASA space launches and the birth of private companies taking over the space industry. 

In 2016, Space X rocket made its first vertical landing. The rocket can now launch from one site, travel into space, launch its payload, and then return vertically back to the earth surface. This is good because it saves Space X a lot of time and money. (Grush 2016) Space X can also reuse the rocket capsule for future missions. The space industry is making big strides in these regards. (Grush 2016)

2) Give a brief summary of the rules and regulations that currently govern the commercial space industry. When and why were they developed? Start with the first rules developed in the 1980s. Do you feel that they are appropriate or that the need to be more or less restrictive?

When compared to the aviation industry, the space industry has a lot more freedom from regulations. The commercial space launch act of 1984, gives the FAA primary oversight of the space industry. (Office of Commercial Space 2017) They regulate launches, re-entry of launches, and operation of launches as carried out by U.S. citizens or while in the U.S. I believe that the current regulations of the space industry are fine the way they are now. (Office of Commercial Space 2017)Companies need this freedom of stringent regulations in order to survive and compete with one another. Space is very unforgiving and there is a lot of things that happen that are completely out of the companies control. I think more regulations would hurt these companies and space exploration in the long run if they became more restricted. 

3) Where do you see space tourism headed and in what time frame? I.e., do you think it will be accessible to the general public, not unlike the commercial airline industry? Do you think it will develop into a means of transportation or do you think that it will perpetually exists as a one-time, bucket list adventure? Why?

I can’t really see space tourism taking off for the general public anytime soon. I don't believe the technology is there or the safety for the general public to get on board with it just yet. I believe when companies can offer affordable travel and gain a better track record with regards to safety then more people will be willing to give it a try. Right now private companies are trying to target the rich to pay for these expensive space tourism flights. I just think the market is to small for any long term profit. These companies are going to have to come up with a new market such as mining in space or more exploration if they want to survive in the future.

4) What are the qualifications to work in the space tourism industry  - either from the pilot or the management perspective? This may require some research, perhaps even making a phone call.

In my findings, I didn't really think the qualifications for space tourism was that bad or hard to get into that field of work. It is a lot like becoming a professional airline pilot in my opinion. Companies require the applicant to have a current FAA certificate with an added instrument rating. They need to have the proper knowledge necessary. The applicants need to have to pass many training test also. (Goehlich 2013)They also need to have a current 1st class medical certificate in order to be an applicant. (Goehlich 2013)I was very surprised with the broadness of the requirements to meet these qualifications. 

References

Goehlich, R. A., Anderson, J. K., Harrold, N. N., Bemis, J. A., Nettleingham, M. T., Cobin, J. M., … Ilchena, N. Y. (2013). Pilots for space tourism. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Retrieved from https://commons.erau.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=ww-graduate-studies

Office of Commercial Space Transportation. (2017, February 27). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/regulations/

Grush, L. (2016, April 08). Breaking: SpaceX successfully lands its rocket on a floating drone ship for the first time. Retrieved February 27, 2017, from http://www.theverge.com/2016/4/8/11392138/spacex-landing-success-falcon-9-rocket-barge-at-sea

Stromberg, J. (2014, September 17). How did private companies get involved in space? Retrieved February 27, 2017, from http://www.vox.com/cards/private-space-flight/private-spaceflight-history-NASA

Communications Satellite Industry. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2017, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/science-and-technology/astronomy-and-space-exploration/space-exploration/communications-satellite

UAVs "The Future"

1. What civilian purpose, if any, are UAVs currently being used for in United States? How are these civilian UAVs currently regulated (if they are regulated)? What are some of the details of the regulations that apply to the commercial use of UAVs?

Today civil use for UAVs vary from hobbies to people who are trying to start a business and profit from them. Many people just generally like flying UAVs. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to learn how to fly. Their isn't much regulations regarding civil use. According to the Drone Registering website, after purchase of any UAV over 0.55 lbs. must be registered with the FAA. (DRONE REGISTRATION.) Commercial users of UAVs must abide by Part 107. A general guideline for commercial users is the following, pilots must have a remote pilots certificate, must be 16 years of age, have to be flown in visual line of sight, no higher that 400 feet, no faster than a 100mph groundspeed, and operation is only allowed during daylight hours or twilight with appropriate lighting.(Vincent,J)

2) Do you foresee UAVs integrating into the NAS? If so, how? Also, what problems do you foresee resulting from this? Be sure to include not only logistical problems, but also potential perception problems.

I do see UAVs being integrated into the NAS in the future. I believe UAVs are still pretty new on the scene and people are unaware of UAVs full capabilities. I think with time and continuous proof that UAVs are reliable and can be potentially safely programed to fly out of line of sight, they will find a way into the NAS. I think a good idea to for the FAA to monitor UAVs in the NAS is for the operator to file a kind of flight plan for the benefit and safety of other aircraft flying. That way controllers and pilots could know when and where these UAVs are in relevance of there flight. There is a ton of more technology that could be integrated in with UAVs, but then again, with more technology comes more time and money. 

3) As for the military application of UAVs, how have they transformed military strategy? Has their integration been efficient (consider all aspects - from financial to ethical)?

Drones in the military are closely associated with the Predator, which is a drone used by the military. Someone can fly this drone on the ground or from a computer with a programed route of flight. The Predator can be used for surveillance or used for actual combat. The drone’s cameras can quickly be swapped with two hellfire missiles. There is also an online computer onboard that calculates trajectory and distance.  One other unique thing about the Predator is that it can be easily transported.  The drone can be broken down into 6 pieces and put into a box called a “coffin”. This is how they are transported from mission to mission (Valdes, 2014). 

It may be hard to imagine that these unmanned flying killing machines could have any downside. However this is not the case. The military is not the only one with this new technology. According to New American Foundation the CIA has carried out 349 drone strikes in Pakistan. Many U.S. citizens think this gives the government too much power and say.

4) Finally, do some research and find out if their are UAV jobs that are advertised for civilians (both flight and management students). If so, include this as your link. If you are unable to locate a job posting, reference your above answers to brainstorm the potential for types of UAV jobs in the future.

The Job that I listed at the bottom of the page is a job listing for a company called SkySpecs that is located in Ann Arbor Michigan. To my knowledge, this company’s main focus is capture video of large wind turbines with the help of UAVs.

http://media.wix.com/ugd/04f2ea_33434533e4c64c7ab1ef9e0171351678.pdf

http://www.skyspecs.com/careers

References

DRONE REGISTRATION. (n.d.). Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://federaldroneregistration.com/?gclid=CKmLlv2TjNICFYW1wAodPFYLxg

Vincent, J. (2016, August 30). FAA regulations for commercial drones are now in effect. Retrieved February 12, 2017, from http://www.theverge.com/2016/8/30/12707502/drone-regulations-legality-us-faa

Valdes, R. (2014). On The Road - How the Predator UAV Works. HowStuffWorks. Retrieved 11 December 2014, from http://science.howstuffworks.com/predator7.htm

Cargo Carrier Regulations

1) As a result of the Colgan Air accident, the FAA institute new flight and duty regulations. Summarize  these new regulations and describe how they are different from the old flight and duty regulations.

The new flight and duty regulations have generally been in the pilots favor and best interest. Flight rest periods is one of the major changes in new regulations. Pilots in cargo are only allowed to be scheduled 9-14 hours a day currently. (FAA 2011) They are also only allowed to fly 8 hours of those scheduled hours before they are required to take a rest. If a flight is longer than 8 hours, pilots may need to take a required rest period during the flight.(FAA 2011) I think this is very smart of the FAA for creating these regulations since there have been 14 accidents that have been fatigue related since 1990. (News) Another regulation that has changed is the crew rest period from 8 hours to 10 hours from flight to flight. The pilot is also required to have 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. 

2) Cargo carriers are exempt from the Part 117 rules. What are the current flight and duty limitations for cargo carriers?

Currently, cargo carriers are exempt from part 117 flight rules. When it comes to the safety side of the issue, cargo carriers operate under part 121 for fatigue areas. They are subjected to many of the same rest requirements as air carriers are in part 121. The pilot themselves can always declare themselves unfit to fly due to sickness or fatigue. I think this is a great thing for cargo pilots to take advantage of if the company is doing some unsafe procedures when it comes to fatigue. The pilot can always declare unfit to fly for his/her own safety. I think this is an important rule that pilots can take business advantage of since cargo carriers are exempt from part 117 flight rules. 

3) Why do you feel that cargo carriers have been excluded from the new changes? Value of life? Public perception? Too much money for the carrier? Other reasons? All the above? You may find that reading the preamble of the final rule is helpful in answering this question.

I think it is a combination of these things. When you think of major air carriers carrying many passengers at a time, the value of human life from flight to flight is astronomical. While on cargo operations, the value of human life is really just the crew, the other values on the flight is the actual cargo and these are material things that can be replaced. For this reason, I can certainly see why air carriers should be held to a higher standard than cargo carriers. The public perception of air carriers is another huge reason that air carriers need to be held to a higher standard of flight. If the public does not trust the advantage of flight, then the air carriers will loose huge amounts of safety. This is business different when it comes to cargo operators. Cargo operators don't really need the trust or opinion of the public because the public completely doesn't really pertain to the business of the cargo company. These are some of the key reasons why cargo carriers have been excluded from these new changes. 

4) Do you believe cargo carriers should be included in the new rules? Why or why not?

I do not believe cargo carriers should be included in the new rules. Mainly, for the same reasons I stated in the questions above. I think cargo carriers are a lot different that passenger and air carriers inside and out. Im not saying that cargo carriers should have less safety perimeters than part 121 operators, however, I do believe that 121 operators have a higher value of human life and liabilities. For this reason, cargo operators shouldn't have to be included in these new rules and it should be up to the cargo companies if they want to commit to these rules and increase the level of safety. 

5) Finally, what would be the impact to your career if cargo carriers were to be included in these new rules - Pilots, address this from a pilot perspective, management address from a management perspective.

I don't think it would make a huge impact in my own personal career as a pilot. I don't plan on doing cargo flying in my future. I am hopefully going to be a flight instructor and build my hours that way. However, many pilots take the cargo route as a way to build hours for the airlines. If the 1500 hour rule was mandatory for cargo operators, I think it would make the airline pilot shortage even more prominent in the industry. It already takes a lot of time and money to get to the airlines. If the 1500 hour rule is applied to cargo carriers, I believe their would also be less cargo pilots for the industry. I believe they rules and regulations are complete the way they are now. 

News. (n.d.). Retrieved February 05, 2017, from http://www.cargoair.org/2016/04/setting-the-record-straight-on-all-cargo-duty-and-rest-amendment/

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (2011). Press release-FAA issues final rule on pilot fatigue.FederalAviationAdministration.Retrievedfrom https://www.faa.gov/news/press_releases/news_story.cfm?newsId=13272