TUCSON, AZ (February 13, 2014) — Paragon Space development Corporation® announced in 2013 that it was entering a new line of business, commercial space travel. With the backing of several major investors, Paragon formed World View, which will give the public the opportunity to buy a seat on a commercial flight to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. Other companies are planning similar ventures.
In order to attract commercial space ventures such as World View, Representatives Orr, Cardenas, Dial, Sherwood, Steele, Borrelli and Livingston introduced Bill HB 2163 Limited Liability: Space Flight Activities. Arizona will need to adopt such a bill, which several states (Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, California, Virginia and Florida) have already passed, to provide for a waiver of liability by passengers on such travel, under certain circumstances. The Texas Legislature passed such a bill in 2011, and the proposed bill HB2163 would adopt similar legislation in Arizona.
Federal regulations address the operation of space travel entities and establish requirements in terms of operating and licensing space travel activities. “Any space travel conducted by Paragon or World View has to comply with these Federal Aviation Administration requirements. One requirement includes notice to space travel participants regarding the risks of space travel activities. The proposed legislation describes notice to space travel participants regarding the risks of participating in space travel activities, establishes language that a space travel entity must include in any agreement if the space travel entity wants to obtain a liability waiver, and sets the terms, limits and conditions of such a waiver,” said Taber MacCallum, CEO of Paragon Space Development Corporation and CTO of World View Enterprises, Inc.