Enhancing safety for commercialized human space travel and colonization
Abstract
This study explored the lack of global standardization guidelines for space travel and colonization as the world begins commercializing human space travel operations. The safety issue posed with the future of commercial human space transportation is due to the independent functioning of national space agencies and private commercial space entities, despite the presence of international entities such as the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) and The Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) (UNOOSA, 2021). Due to the lack of accepted minimum international standards and commercialized space travel guidelines, there is a need to explore the feasibility of establishing and prioritizing a guideline for developing an agency or clearinghouse for the standardization of certifications, requirements, and ethical standards for commercialized human space travel and colonization between global governments and private entities. This study utilized a two-round Delphi design to investigate the need to establish and prioritize a guideline for developing an agency or clearinghouse for the standardization of certifications, requirements, and ethical standards for commercialized space travel and colonization between global governments and private entities. Due to the lack of guidelines on space travel and colonization both for government and private purposes, the findings yielded from this study might help to provide guidance on how an agency or clearinghouse could be established to develop such guidelines. The study included the prioritization of issues relevant to the establishment of guidelines to regulate commercialized human space travel and colonization. There were 29 global expert participants from 10 different nations who participated in this research study. As a result of disseminating this study's findings, industry decision-makers may become more knowledgeable of safety concerns regarding human and spacecraft design, certification, training, and qualification approval. The results of this study include quantitative and qualitative data.
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- OSU Dissertations [11222]