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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsRare FAA rules change means Blue Origin crew may not get official 'wings'
U.S. NEWS JULY 23, 2021 / 8:27 AM
By Kyle Barnett
uly 23 (UPI) -- Federal aviation regulators have made a rare change to the requirements for its Commercial Astronaut Wings Program, meaning Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos may not officially be recognized for his spaceflight this week.
The Federal Aviation Administration changed rules for the program on the same day Bezos, his brother and two others made their historic first commercial spaceflight on Tuesday.
For the first time in 17 years, the FAA updated its Commercial Astronaut Wings Program. Before the change, all that was required to be recognized was to fly to at least an altitude of 50 miles.
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2021/07/23/faa-rules-wings-spaceflight/4631627040412/
Hugin
(33,135 posts)I'm sure there are plenty of other countries who will be more than happy to declare someone a Cosmonaut, Space Buckaroo, or whatever. If simply to draw money.
This will only diminish the fledgling industry here in the US.
hlthe2b
(102,236 posts)fair is fair.
Hugin
(33,135 posts)I had to step way way back and look at it through the lens of what the FAA (then the CAA) was originally chartered to do. Which was to encourage civil aviation by demonstrating and regulating it's safety and utility to the public.
Then, factoring in that these specific flights wouldn't have happened if not for the financial contributions of the wealthy individuals who were participating. Then, yeah, they made a significant contribution to the flights, if not piloting or dying celery stalks while in flight.
Those contributions should never over shadow the vast investments of public dollars expended to make those flights even feasible, however. Here we are.
Worried2020
(444 posts).
I really don't think The World gives a hoot what the FAA thinks.
Like them, or hate them - don't matter,
these billionaires made HISTORY!
Get over it.
W
Lancero
(3,003 posts)Guess not.
COL Mustard
(5,897 posts)Unlike TFG.
I might not like Bezos or Musk or Branson or any of those other guys....but damn, if I had that kind of money, I'd build a rocket too!
a kennedy
(29,655 posts)THEY ARE NOT ASTRONAUTS. They were in space for less then 15 minutes.
EX500rider
(10,842 posts)Astronaut definition is - a person who travels beyond the earth's atmosphere; also : a trainee for spaceflight
a kennedy
(29,655 posts)Sgent
(5,857 posts)you can't earn flight time as a passenger, nor can you earn time accrued to merchant marine ranks as a passenger on a cruise ship.
That said, for those who flew before the rule change, the old rules should apply. I say this mostly for Wally Funk.