While perusing the daily Federal Register contents for rocket related things, I noticed an item for the FAA's commercial space launch rules. Apparantly this has been in review for some changes for quite a while. Todays notice extended the delay for comments. So if you have a mind (Or even half a mind. Of which, more later.) there is still time to dig through the hundreds of pages of documents and submit a comment.
The DOT has a somewhat more open rule making process than the BATF has ever had and one of the features of this is that they maintain an online "docket" which contains comments and such on proposed rules. While perusing this list I ran across a doozy. Wherein it is shown that any nitwit can, and will, comment.
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Barb Sachau writes: "... commercial space transportation. this kind of launch hurts americans and other world citizens since it creates ozone, and high use of gasoline and other toxic chemicals into our atmosphere. we are in critical state right now with having good air to breathe, what with excess carbon dioxide, far too many particulates, global warming, acid rain, etc and this kind of allowance creates a much much harder environment for people on earth. i think these commercial space laucnhes must be stopped until people to breathe."
Questions: Does Barb drive an SUV or ride a bike? Where did she learn English?
Curriousity overwhelmed me so I Googled Barb. She seems to be very busy and also appears to be one of those wacko PETA (and I don't mean People Eating Tasty Animals) types. She posted (I hope that there is only one Barb Sachau) "I agree. It is a matter of education. Someone has to show you how awful it is to eat sentient living beings. You have to be taught." To which I reply:
Note that the amateur rocket exemption (under 200,000 lb-s, 15 second action time, 12 psi ballistic coefficient, IIRC) is contained within these FAA rules. I didn't look but I don't think they are proposing to change them.