NTSB Seeks Authority Over Commercial Space Accidents

February 1, 2010 at 2:40 pm | Posted in Space Law | Leave a comment

by P.J. Blount with the blog faculty

From the Wall Street Journal Online:

NTSB Seeks Authority Over Commercial Space Accidents

By ANDY PASZTOR

The National Transportation Safety Board, which probes plane, train, ship and highway crashes, wants to expand its purview to cover commercial spacecraft mishaps and accidents.

This week, the safety board for the first time asked Congress to explicitly give it primary investigative authority over accidents involving commercial space vehicles. As part of the request submitted to the House Transportation subcommittee on aviation, Deborah Hersman, the board’s chairman, also reiterated that lawmakers should clarify that the board is authorized to investigate incidents involving civilian unmanned aircraft. . . . [Full Story]