State lawmakers want to limit private spaceflight liability

By The Associated Press
Tuesday, February 7, 2012

DENVER — Colorado lawmakers are trying to promote the space industry by limiting liability for companies that carry passengers.

State Sen. Mary Hodge, a Democrat from Brighton, says there are risks with spaceflight. She wants to help a spaceflight hub planned for the Front Range Airport east of Denver.

According to the Denver Post, the airport wants to launch jets that would fire rockets at 50,000 feet, giving passengers a suborbital adventure.

Under the bill, spaceflight companies could be sued only for the death or injury of passengers in cases of gross negligence or ignoring dangerous conditions.