http://www.personalspaceflight.info/2008/01/18/scaled-fined-for-july-accident/ Space tourism, public space travel, and the beginnings of a new industry Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:50:42 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 http://www.personalspaceflight.info/2008/01/18/scaled-fined-for-july-accident/#comment-292174 Carolynne Campbell Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:02:41 +0000 http://www.personalspaceflight.info/2008/01/18/scaled-fined-for-july-accident/#comment-292174 Allow Scaled to 'close the door'? What about the rest of us working with powerful hybrids? The recent pess-release promises to share results with 'the industry'. A little sharing of facts would be a good start. The report delivers nothing of any use in aiding others to improve safety. We've been using inert gas and blow-off systems for three years and yet Scaled has only just figured those things out. We could well be doing something we shouldn't be doing. Do we just close our program, carry on regardless, or insist that the data be made public? The latter is the only reasonable course. Scientists share and publish results as a matter of professional ethics. When the data relate to safety, public obligation must take precedence oover commercial secrecy. I don't believe for one moment that Mr. Rutan is at the root of this, his credentials are impeccable - but then he doesn't call the shots at Scaled Composites now the big boys have stepped in. Allow Scaled to ‘close the door’? What about the rest of us working with powerful hybrids? The recent pess-release promises to share results with ‘the industry’. A little sharing of facts would be a good start. The report delivers nothing of any use in aiding others to improve safety. We’ve been using inert gas and blow-off systems for three years and yet Scaled has only just figured those things out.
We could well be doing something we shouldn’t be doing. Do we just close our program, carry on regardless, or insist that the data be made public? The latter is the only reasonable course.
Scientists share and publish results as a matter of professional ethics. When the data relate to safety, public obligation must take precedence oover commercial secrecy. I don’t believe for one moment that Mr. Rutan is at the root of this, his credentials are impeccable - but then he doesn’t call the shots at Scaled Composites now the big boys have stepped in.

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