Commercial space travel: security and other implications

• Published in: Journal of transportation security Vol. 6; no. 3; pp. 257 - 270
• Main Author: Abeyratne, Ruwantissa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston Springer US 01.09.2013; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air and Outer Space; Air transport; Air travel; Airspace; Astronauts; Business and Management; Civil aviation; Commercial space industry; Commercial space ventures; Commonality; Conventions; Councils; Economic Policy; Innovation/Technology Management; Law of the Sea; Logistics; R & D/Technology Policy; Science; Scientists; Security; Security management; Security measures; Space travel; Suborbital flight; Tourism; Transportation; Travel; Treaties; Airspace; Space travel treaty; Suborbital flights; Outer space; UNCUPUOS; Commercial space travel; Space security
• ISSN: 1938-7741; 1938-775X
• DOI: 10.1007/s12198-013-0115-1

The newest and most expensive mode of transportation is commercial space travel which offers high-end suborbital flights to space tourists. Some consider it an extension of air travel, mostly on the basis that a spacecraft that operates suborbital flights would have to traverse airspace to go beyond it. This has encouraged some academics to suggest that this area of travel can easily be accommodated within the existing air transport regime, by incorporating the various safety principles that would be adopted for commercial space travel within existing treaty provisions with some adaptation and modification. Although there may be some commonality in both air travel and outer space travel, on the basis that a vehicle operating suborbital flights would go through airspace, it would be both unwise and impracticable to move a space travel regime lock stock and barrel into the existing air transport regime. This article touches on the main issues involved and addresses what is arguably the most critical aspect of space travel – security - which is the only area involving the most unpredictable aspect - the human factor. On the subject of sub-orbital flights space security has generally escaped the scrutiny of both academics and professionals. The article suggests the most appropriate regime for commercial space transport and discusses the elements that are the most critical in the development of such a regime.