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7 Pitt. J. Tech. L. & Pol'y 1 (2006-2007)

handle is hein.journals/pittjtlp7 and id is 1 raw text is: Volume VII - Article 1

FLYING THE FRIENDLY SKIES MAY NOT BE SO FRIENDLY IN OUTER SPACE: INTERNATIONAL
AND DOMESTIC LAW LEAVES UNITED STATES' CITIZEN SPACE TOURISTS WITHOUT A REMEDY
FOR INJURY CAUSED BY GOVERNMENT SPACE DEBRIS
Marla Stayduhar*
Fall 2006
Copyright © University of Pittsburgh School of Law
Journal of Technology Law and Policy
I.     Introduction
Ladies and Gentlemen, we would like to welcome you to the moon. Please keep your
seat belt fastened until the pilot completely stops at the gate. If this is your final destination,
please collect your bags at baggage claim D. If you are headed on to Mars, your bags will be
checked through to your final destination.
These words may sound funny now, but the possibility of them becoming a reality is not
as far-fetched as it might seem. On September 18, 2006, Anousheh Ansari, a United States
citizen of Iranian origin, became the fourth space tourist and the first female civilian to enter
outer space.' She also became the first astronaut to keep a space blog of her experiences to
which readers could post a response.2 Shortly before Ms. Ansari's adventure, on October 1,
2005, Gregory Olsen, scientist and entrepreneur, was the third paying civilian space tourist, and
took flight on a Russian shuttle.3 Although his trip cost $20 million,4 it is not unforeseeable that
University of Pittsburgh School of Law, J.D. expected 2007.
Ryan Chilcote, Female Space Tourist Blasts Off CNN.COM, Sept. 18, 2006,
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TECH/space/09/18/space.female.tourist/index.html; Sara Goudarzi, Interview with
Anousheh Ansari, the First Female Space Tourist, SPACE.COM, Sept. 15, 2006,
http://www.space.com/missionlaunches/060915_ansari-qna.html.
2 Anousheh Ansari Space Blog, http://spaceblog.xprize.org/; http://www.space.com/
missionlaunches/060915_ansari qna.html (last visited Nov. 5, 2006).
3 Crew and Tourist Head into Space, N.Y. TIMES, Oct. 2, 2005, at 3 1; Mike Eckel, Third Space Tourist Lifts off to
'Help Mankind', INDEP. ON SUNDAY, Oct. 2, 2005, at 19; Space Tourist Calls Flight Awe-Inspiring, CNN.cOM,
Oct. 17, 2005, http://www.cnn.com/2005/TECH/space/10/17/olsen/index.html.

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