Since 1992, Aerospace has provided technical support to the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation, whose mission is to ensure protection of the public, property, national security, and foreign policy interests of the United States during launches and reentries of commercial spacecraft. The office also encourages, facilitates, and promotes U.S. commercial space transportation.
Aerospace has performed nearly 40 technical tasks under FAA sponsorship in many areas related to commercial spaceflight. Examples include a study of radio-frequency blackout caused by plasma shields surrounding reentering space vehicles; an assessment of triggered lightning strikes on reusable launch vehicles at inland spaceports; an evaluation of the U.S. liability risk-sharing environment for commercial spaceflight; a study of space-based navigation systems for application to expendable launch vehicles and reusable launch vehicles; development of a simplified methodology for calculating casualty expectations resulting from aerothermal structural demise of reentering spacecraft; and several analytical studies evaluating risks to the uninvolved public for various launches and reentries at a number of potential spaceport locations.
Another area of support to the FAA was mandated by the Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-492). This legislation required that FAA sponsor an independent study by a nonprofit entity to evaluate eight technical and policy issues relevant to the safety of commercial human spaceflight. Aerospace was selected to lead this study, supported by researchers from George Washington University and MIT. The study report was submitted to Congress in December 2008.
Aerospace's participation in these efforts offers its Air Force customer insight at the working level into these processes, requirements, and status of FAA plans and assessments as it regulates commercial launch activities and ranges. The FAA and the U.S. Air Force have also signed a memorandum of agreement coordinating their activities.
— Bob Seibold