7.27.2006
Gravity & ITAR
Leonard David reports on reaching escape velocity from the red tape of US export controls. (Space.com)As Mike Gold, corporate counsel of Bigelow puts it, "Second only to gravity, the force that had the greatest potential to keep Genesis-1 on the ground was the ITAR." Indeed.
Among other things, Mike would like to see export control returned to the Department of Commerce. He also suggests different regimes for commercially available technology vs. militarily sensitive hardware, and "more discretion built into the system."
Meanwhile, thanks to ITAR, the commercial space industry here on Earth must grappple with one force of nature too many.
(Image: JadeTower)
