5.17.2007
Spring for COMSTAC
As I've noted in Flybys, the space transportation gurus of the Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) are gathering for their spring meetings today and tomorrow at FAA headquarters in DC. The May 18th full meeting agenda looks jamming as usual, featuring remarks by FAA Administrator Marion C. Blakey, a report on AST activities by Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Patricia G. Smith, presentations by COMSTAC chair John W. Vinter of International Space Brokers and Daniel J. Collins of United Launch Alliance; a special segment on NASA and the commercial launch arena with updates on space station resupply by William Gerstenmaier, a COTS update by Marc Timm, a report from the Innovative Partnerships Program Office by Douglas A. Comstock, some market forecasts by Beth King of Lockheed Martin (covering GSO launch demand) and John Sloan of FAA/AST (covering nongeosynchronous orbits), a talk on the Personal Spaceflight Federation by Bretton Alexander, and working group reports by Janice Sadler (XL Insurance), Michael S. Kelly (APFC) Donald P. Pettit (Aero Thermo Technology, Inc.) and Wilbur C. Trafton (Rocketplane Kistler). To tide us over until AST posts a roundup of presentations and slides from the meetings, a look back at the minutes of the Oct. 2006 full committee meeting (and for a hardcore minutes-heads, an archive of all the minutes since 1997), along with a collection of materials from the October gathering.
For those unfamiliar with COMSTAC, a quickie overview: the committee of course was established in 1984 to provide "information, advice, and recommendations" to FAA "on matters relating to the U.S. commercial space transportation industry." COMSTAC has four working groups (Technology and Innovation; Launch Operations and Support; Risk Management; Reusable Launch Vehicle Development). Here's the current roster of hot shot committee members. And for the SLP record, if you please, COMSTAC's charter (U.S. DOT/FAA Order 1110-124E) (which naturally provided for the committee's operation in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act, 15 U.S.C Appendix II, Pub. L. 92-463; 86 Stat, 770). More on COMSTAC's work to come. Happy Spring.
