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Comments on Development of a Performance Target for Human Space Flight Safety. Background. The FAA has specific performance targets that it tracks to measure how well it is meeting certain objectives such as in the area of improving safety:
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Comments on Development of a Performance Target for Human Space Flight Safety
Background • The FAA has specific performance targets that it tracks to measure how well it is meeting certain objectives such as in the area of improving safety: • No fatalities, serious injuries, or significant property damage to the uninvolved public during licensed or permitted space launch and reentry activities. • In anticipation of commercial human space flight (HSF) in the future, the FAA briefed the COMSTAC RLV Working Group on May 17, 2007, about the FAA’s plan to work with COMSTAC to develop an additional safety performance target for flight crew and space flight participants.
Background (cont.) • On October 10, 2007, the COMSTAC RLV Working Group was invited to submit comments and suggestions for a proposed HSF performance target. Example of a target that the FAA presented for discussion purposes only: • Commercial HSF Fatal Accident Rate Limit the fatal accident rate for commercial launches and reentries carrying flight crew or space flight participants to less than the overall historical rate of 1%.
Comments • The FAA received nine comments from different companies, organizations, and individuals. • Four respondents commented that it’s too early to establish an HSF safety performance target at this time. • A specific performance target should not be chosen until more commercial human space flights have occurred. • The previous FAA briefing to the COMSTAC RLV Working Group asked several questions about what should be included in an HSF safety performance target.
Majority of the Responses Should the target…
Additional Comments Additional comments were provided on: • The need for meaningful targets • The desire for targets that use comparable systems • The importance of having a statistically meaningful flight history • The authority of the FAA to set an HSF safety performance target.
Considerations • The FAA will consider the comments it receives as it develops a performance target for HSF safety. • It is not too early to consider what metrics should be used to monitor HSF safety in the future. • The FAA would like the continued assistance of COMSTAC in creating these metrics.
Preliminary HSF Safety Target • Limit the fatal accident rate for licensed suborbital launches and reentries carrying flight crew or space flight participants to less than the overall historical rate of 1%.