[Federal Register: April 21, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 76)]
[Notices]               
[Page 19667]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr21ap99-93]



[[Page 19667]]



DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration

 
Proopsed Advisory Circular (AC) 
431-01, Reusable Launch Vehicle System Safety Process and AC 431-02, 
Expected Casualty Calculations for Commercial Space Launch and Reentry 
Missions

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration, DOT.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments.

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SUMMARY: This notice announces the availability of and requests 
comments on two proposed AC's that would describe the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA) Commercial Space Transportation Reusable Launch 
Vehicle. The proposed AC's would provide guidance on two separate 
processes. Proposed AC 431-01 will provide top level guidance and 
information concerning the application of a logical safety process 
methodology for the identification and control of public safety hazards 
associated with the operation of Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) systems. 
Proposed AC 431-02 would provide a description of the measure Expected 
Casualty and generally will discuss the basics of an acceptable 
methodology for estimating the value or upper limit of the value for 
commercial space launch and reentry missions.

DATES: Comments must be received on or before July 20, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Send all comments on the proposed AC's to Stewart Jackson, 
AST-100, Space Systems Development Division, Office of the Associate 
Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation 
Administration, 800 Independence Ave. SW., Washington, DC 20591, 
telephone (202) 267-7982.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Stewart Jackson, AST-100, Space 
Systems Development Division, Office of the Associate Administrator for 
Commercial Space Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 
Independence Ave SW., Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-7982.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Comments Invited

    A copy of the draft AC's may be obtained by contacting the person 
named above under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. Interested persons 
are invited to comment on the proposed AC's by submitting such written 
data, views or arguments as they may desire. Commenters must identify 
AC 431-01 or AC 431-02 and submit comments in duplicate to the address 
specified above. All communications received on or before the closing 
date for comments will be considered by the FAA before issuing the 
final AC's.

Discussion

AC 431-01

    An RLV applicant will be expected to apply a disciplined, 
systematic, and logical safety process methodology for the 
identification and control of hazards associated with its launch and/or 
reentry systems. The applicant should use the System Safety Engineering 
Process or its equivalent, which includes a Risk Analysis, to show that 
it meets the safety process methodology critieria identified in the 
proposed AC. The use of a systematic process for the identification and 
control of safety critical systems and operations also provides the 
foundation supporting the Expected Casualty analysis. Without a process 
that helps assure a disciplined approach to the design, manufacture, 
integration, test, and operation of a system, it will be very difficult 
to establish any confidence in the probabilities of success and failure 
provided for the Expected Casualty analysis. The application of the 
system safety engineering approach in combination with the expected 
casualty analysis and the mandatory operational controls defined in the 
reentry proposal is intended to help ensure an adequate level of public 
safety.

AC 431-02

    Expected casualty is used in the space transportation industry as a 
measure of risk to public safety from a specific mission, and is one of 
the factors typically used within the U.S. Government to determine if a 
mission may proceed or a license granted. Expected casualty is the 
expected average number of human casualties per commercial space 
mission. Human casualty is defined as a fatality or serious injury. For 
the purpose of this advisory circular, a human casualty is considered 
to be any human contact with a piece of vehicle debris or exposure to 
or greater. Another way of expressing the measure of expected casualty 
is that; if thousands of identical missions were conducted and all the 
casualties that resulted were added up and the sum divided by the 
number of missions, the actual casualties and the expected casualties 
per mission should ideally be the same.
    For the purpose of this advisory circular, a mission includes all 
licensed flight segments throughout the mission. If there are 
activities that occur on orbit that are not conducted under a license, 
these segments, or phases, are not included in the mission. For 
example, a sub-orbital mission might include launch, stage separations, 
state ignitions and payload landing or recovery. An orbital mission of 
an expendable launch vehicle (ELV) might include vehicle launch, 
multiple booster stage separations, stage ignitions, booster stage 
recovery, and payload insertion into orbit.
    The proposed AC's would become effective only after a final rule 
establishing the operational requirements for launches of reusable 
launch vehicles and the authorized conduct of commercial space reentry 
activities becomes effective.

    Issued in Washington, D.C. April 13, 1999.
Patricia Grace Smith,
Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation.
[FR Doc. 99-9641 Filed 4-20-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-M