I have read recently in the Flight International Magazine where the FAA believe that space flight regulatory oversight should not rest with individual nations or any existing international aviation organizations but rather with the United Nations. 

The issue has become important as the preparations advance for the Virgin Galactic space tourism flights and other commercial space flight ventures.  Whilst some nations such as the USA have established departments and committees to address the complex issues such as safety standard setting, certification, and licensing, it appears that Aviation Regulatory Agencies are likely to play catch up to the entrepreneurs attempting to service a small but apparently affluent market of would be space travelers or adventurers. 

I make the distinction between space travelers and space adventurers because; the two activities are quite different.  In the future, it is possible that space liners (my phrase) will transport people and cargo in full or sub-orbit.  Indeed, large passenger aircraft are already on the conceptual drawing boards for this purpose.  It is even suggested that this type of travel is far more environmentally friendly. 

Clearly, this type of operation may require different standards compared to the space tourism flights.  In spite of the careful use of the word, “tourism”, it is likely that eventually these may be considered as a type of “adventure” or “joy” flights and therefore predicate different standards and a different regulatory oversight approach.

Notwithstanding, as the world is undoubtedly on the cusp of a new aeronautical phenomenon, it is important that a global approach be taken to the safety regulation of spaceflight.  I liken this to the establishment of railways in Australia, whereby as each State had responsibility for its own rail system, a number of rail networks were built with different gauges.  Worse still, we could let ICAO states develop their own safety standards and oversight strategies and then spend a fortune establishing mutual recognition agreements and transition standards.  A whole bureaucracy has developed on the basis of mutual recognition and or acceptance of other regulatory standards.  A similar thing could occur if a global approach is not adopted to spaceflight regulation.