We provide links here to particular reference materials regarding suborbital spaceflight. See the Web Links Section for pointers to websites that deal with topics related to suborbital space.

Study Reports

• Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Emerging Markets - FAA/AST - February 2005 (pdf).
• 2004 U.S. Commercial Space Transportation Developments and Concepts: Vehicles, Technologies, and Spaceports - report by the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation - Federal Aviation Administration - January 2004
• Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Applicable Markets, October 2002 - pdf, 1.95Mb - includes detailed survey of most of the known suborbital vehicle projects.
  • Commerce Dept releases Report on Emerging Market Opportunities in Suborbital Space. Entrepreneurs Shifting Focus From Orbital to Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles - Commerce Dept. PR - Dec.5.02.
  • Commerce Dept Reports
• FAA / AST - Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation
  • Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC)
  • RLV Status Reports - yearly reports since 1998
• Conceptual design of a global fast package delivery system - MIT thesis by Kurt Palmer, 1998.

Regulations & Other Governmental Issues

• FAA / AST - Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation
  • Reports & Studies
  • Draft Guidelines for Commercial Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations with Flight Crew Version 1.0 (pdf)
  • Draft Guidelines For Commercial Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations with Space Flight Participants Version 1.0 - Feb.11.05 (pdf)Guidance for Medical Screening of Commercial Aerospace Passengers, Federal Air Surgeon, March 31, 2003 (pdf)
• H.R. 5382 - the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act passed on Dec.8.04
• Preliminary draft of Space Act with amendments included
• Commercial Space Bill Wins Final Approval From Congress - House Committee on Science - Dec.9.04
• Congress OKs private-spaceflight bill Senate's 11th-hour approval opens way for tourism - Alan Boyle/MSNBC - Dec.9.04
• H.R. 3752: Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 - proposed legislation that eventually led to H.R. 5382.
• S.1260 : Commercial Space Transportation Act of 2003 - proposal
• The Final Environmental Assessment for the East Kern Airport District Launch Site Operator License for the Mojave Airport - AST-FAA - Feb.2004
• Hearing Charter: H.R. 3245 - The Commercial Space Act of 2003
  Committee on Science: Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
  U.S. House of Representatives, Wednesday, November 5, 2003
  • Testimony:
    • Pamela L. Meredith - Space Law Practice Group, Zuckert Scoutt & Rasenberger
    • Michael Kelly - Kelly Space
    • Henry R. Hertzfeld - Space Policy Institute, George Washington Univ.
    • Raymond F. Duffy - Willis Inspace
    • Gary Hudson - HMX
    • James Muncy - Polispace
  • House Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Hearing: What is the Best Way to Regulate the Space Tourism Industry? - SpaceRef - Nov.5.03
• The regulatory hurdles to commercial human spaceflight by Jeff Foust, The Space Review, July 28, 2003
• Office of Space Commercialization - Dept. of Commerce

Articles of Interest

• Space racers unite in federation: Industry group will follow up on new law - MSNBC - Feb.8.05
• The trials and tribulations of licensing - The Space Review - May.3.04 by Jeff Foust
• The lessons we (should have) learned in 2003 by Jeff Foust - The Space Review, January 5, 2004
• Scaled Composites’ SpaceShipOne: stunt plane or new road to the stars? by Taylor Dinerman, The Space Review, Dec. 29, 2003
• Suborbital spaceflight: a road to orbit or a dead end? by Clark S. Lindsey - The Space Review, Dec. 15, 2003 - survey of opinions on whether suborbital RLVs can lead to development of orbital RLVs.
• Is there a business case for RLVs? by Jeff Foust, The Space Review, Sept. 2, 2003.
• The promise of amateur suborbital spaceflight: Homebuilt spacecraft could soon take to the skies by Andrew Case, The Space Review, June 30, 2003
• Suborbital’s ascending trajectory: Once dismissed as a dead end, reusable suborbital spacecraft are finally getting respect - by Jeff Foust, The Space Review, April 14, 2003
• Suborbital Reusable Launch Vehicles and Applicable Markets, October 2002 - pdf, 1.95Mb - includes a detailed survey of most of the known suborbital vehicle projects.
• Sub-orbital Rockets to Space: The next logical step? by Clark S. Lindsey Reprint of an article that appeared in the March-April 2002 issue of the Ad Astra Magazine - National Space Society

Modified April 9, 2005