Space Exploration: Moon Express Aims To Win Google Lunar X Prize, But Rocket Lab Not FAA Licensed

Spaceports are being licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States, which now adds to 10 licensed spaceports or launch site operators. What is interesting is they have also licensed 12 active launch providers which does not include NASA. However, FAA paves way to the future of space exploration when they recently approved a commercial venture to the Moon from a company called Moon Express.

Moon Express aims to win the Google Lunar X prize, an international competition to send the first privately funded vehicle to the Moon's surface, The Verge reported. Moon Express needs to get to the Moon by 2017 to meet the competition's deadline. The company has been reported to have purchased a vehicle from Rocket Lab to hurl their Electron rocket to the moon.

Rocket Lab launches from New Zealand, Rocket Lab reported. This poses a concern as the FAA list of Active Launchers does not include them. Perusing on the rules, it seems that United States citizens must comply with the rules wherever in the world they launch. The circumstance may lead to people questioning why does FAA or any other government need to impose their jurisdictional rights on accessing the Moon. Furthermore, will the granter be liable for any mishaps that arise during the launch?

In the past, a furor was raised on whether the United States was found liable over the Skylab vessel re-entering on top of Australia in 1979. This is where 51 USC Code 50914 comes in, which shows that the licensing is apparently all about managing the risk. Nevertheless, while uncertainties remain, progress is seen as the basis of an international system is in place now.

Meanwhile, there is still no regulatory framework that exist for a commercial space mission to another world. However, Moon Express came up with its own temporary framework for its 2017 launch that the US government could use to oversee its mission. It has been reported that after a meeting between the FAA, the White House and the State Department, the company was given approval to launch to the Moon.