Oregon Congressman Proposes New Space Tourism Tax

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) plans to introduce legislation called the Securing Protections Against Carbon Emissions (SPACE) Tax Act, which would impose new excise taxes on space tourism trips. Space.com reports: 'Space exploration isn't a tax-free holiday for the wealthy. Just as normal Americans pay taxes when they buy airline tickets, billionaires who fly into space to produce nothing of scientific value should do the same, and then some,' Blumenauer said in a statement issued by his office. 'I'm not opposed to this type of space innovation,' added Blumenauer, a senior member of the House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee. 'However, things that are done purely for tourism or entertainment, and that don't have a scientific purpose, should in turn support the public good.'

The proposed new tax would likely be levied on a per-passenger basis, as is done with commercial aviation, the statement said. 'Exemptions would be made available for NASA spaceflights for scientific research purposes,' the statement reads. 'In the case of flights where some passengers are working on behalf of NASA for scientific research purposes and others are not, the launch excise tax shall be the pro rata share of the non-NASA researchers.' There would be two taxation tiers, one for suborbital flights and another for missions that reach orbit. The statement did not reveal how much the tax would be in either case or if the collected revenue would be earmarked for any specific purpose. Such a purpose could be the fight against climate change, if the proposed act's full name is any guide. Blumenauer is concerned about the potential carbon footprint of the space tourism industry once it gets fully up and running, the statement said.

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