New Mexico to host manned spaceflight race

New Mexico won

http://x-prize.blogspot.com/2004/05/new ... light.html

Humm... the XP-Cup is in the United States... so all teams planning to fly in the yearly event.. will not just need their own country license but also a license from the FAA ?
Isn't that a problem for the canadian, uk.. and other country teams ? That's kinda paying twice for a license...

I agree, that's a problem. On the other hand, it would be easier to get sponsorship money by staying in the states. I don't know how it is for other countries, but any US team that wanted to launch outside of the US borders would still be subject to US federal controls and regulations regardless of where they launched, so maybe it is the same elsewhere.

Hopefully though, launching from one spot will make it easier to fill out all the paperwork for permits (environmental impact statements, waivers, etc.)

That's not a problem for non-US XPRIZE teams, if the FAA treats experimental spacecraft certification like aircraft certification.

The FAA has strong reciprocal agreements with most countries, including Canada and the UK. Most non-US airplane companies will obtain their domestic Certification Authority Type Certificate, while keeping the FAA appraised of their airworthiness test programs. Then the FAA approves aircraft Type Certificate, via the reciprocal agreement.

Also by personal experience, the FAA engineers are as excited as the developers to speed up the certification process of new and exciting programs.

What happens to high-tech once its in the country? Can it be siezed? Can it be exported again?

Those are really good questions. In order to keep the international flavor of the x-prize in the x-prize cup, these and many other questions will need to be answered. I'm sure the x-prize committee (or Spirit of St. Louis committee or whatever) is working hard on these issues. Now that New Mexico has been chosen for the location of the x-prize cup, I'm sure the New Mexico Senators and Congressmen will be vocal advocates for any necessary legislation that needs to be passed to ensure a successful competition. I also hope that after the x-prize is won lawmakers will take private space travel more seriously.

Most people will have to take their aerospace tech to the US at one time or another. Chilean planes are sent to the US to get certified and it's more expensive than creating the plane in the first place. We have local certification, Spanish certification, but everybody wants the US FAA stamp, so we just have to do it to make exports (to non US countries).

Of course there is a risk. Cardoen's Bichito helicopter got seized by the US because they didn't want it to be exported to Irak (this sounds like a lot of bull) so that program died. But I think it was also Cardoen's fault. He could still have sold the thing in Chile or to non US countries that hate the US. But he antagonised the military gobernment and made friends with the Socialists. When his new friends got to power, they forgot him and the helicopter too. Chile still sends planes to the US for certification, so I guess it was an especific problem with a single company. But it's a bad presedent.

I don't think XPrize teams will have that kind of problem as most are non military in nature (but could easly sell weapons). Maybe the Russians have an issue there. But I guess a local launch may be accepted by the XPrize. But I suppose the XCup would have to be in New Mexico.

The other problerm is if you get assets seized like what happened to the Rotary Rocket. That happens all the time to airlines and is perfectly legal. Happens when you have debts with providers, like fuel, or you are a state airliner and international debtors sue you abroad. Only defence is to pay up.