Journal of Air Law and Commerce
Abstract
Humans have never been more capable than they are now of dominating the extreme environments of the universe. This newfound capacity to enter the depths of the oceans and exit the familiar grasp of the atmosphere has led to an unprecedented ability to explore the corners of the universe. This ability brings excitement and opportunity but also presents many potentially fatal risks associated with the unknowns of the extreme environments being explored. The space tourism industry, like other extreme tourism industries, faces the challenge of navigating the forefront of human exploration in a sustainable way that preserves the lives and well-being of its customers. This comment examines the current regulatory landscape of space tourism and compares it to the regulatory schemes governing other types of extreme tourism. It suggests ways the modern push for safety in space tourism can overcome issues causing past incidents using verifiable science to minimize the chance of error on any given venture. This comment primarily draws on the recent fatal OceanGate Titan implosion as an example of the risks resulting from the operation of improperly constructed passenger vessels in sparsely regulated environments, discussing the need for a comprehensive safety regulation framework in the United States that will ensure the safety of space tourists and crew that take part in U.S.-originated private expeditions beyond the Earth’s atmosphere.
Recommended Citation
Ryan Puente, Curiousity Killed the (Fat) Cat: Promoting Safety Over Profit in the Space Tourism Industry,
89
J. Air L. & Com.
627
(2024)
