New Mexico Looks at Spaceflight Liability & Immunity Legislation Again in 2010

The state of New Mexico, home of Spaceport America and the launch site for commercial paying space tourists aboard the first Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo flights, is again considering spaceflight liability and immunity legislation similar to the measure killed last year by the state's legislature, reports The Las Cruces-Sun. The measure is designed to reduce insurance costs for spaceflight companies.

Virginia was the first in the nation with Spaceflight Laibility & Immunity state law in 2007 followed by Florida in 2008 and Texas in 2009. New Mexico may be the fourth state to adopt risk assumption for spaceflight in 2010 with state officials saying "We're confident it will pass."

Virginia will seek to repeal the July 1, 2013 senset clause attached to the state's orginial law to place it on the same cometitive footing as Flroida and Texas in the 2010 session of the state legislature. The measure has been pre-filed by Virginia State Delegate Terry Kilgore. The veteran state legislator carried the original spaceflight liability & immunity measure in 2007.