US Draws Up Space Tourism Rules

While browsing through the technology pages on the BBC News website, I saw this;

US Draws Up Space Tourism Rules , BBC News - Sunday, 8 January 2006, 08:42 GMT

Space tourists must be screened to ensure they are not terrorists, according to proposed regulations from the US Federal Aviation Administration.

The draft report's suggestions aim to prevent a terrorist from destroying a spacecraft or using it as a weapon.

At first glance - I admit - I scoffed. Talk about going over the top, knee jerk reaction if you will, by the American powers that be. What a ridiculous notion that someone would pay that much money to go into space - a opportunity of a lifetime I may add - only to hijack the flight to use the spacecraft as a weapon.

Then I thought about a bunch of guys who decided to spend a few years spending a lot of money on flight lessons. Planning...Waiting, hijacking a few 747 and doing something terrible with them.

Maybe it is a good idea.

If these people are mad enough to do something as amazingly stupid and disgusting as the act we all now know as 9/11 - what's stopping them from being more sensationalist? More ridiculous? More selfish and murderous if it helps their "cause"?

What the Americans have done should be a template for any nation who decide to allow business to venture into the realms of space tourism.

(just realised had a bit of rant there, apologies!)