Process for Airspace Integration of Space Launch and Reentry Operations 24 May 2013 Federal Aviation...

Process for Airspace Integration of Space Launch and Reentry Operations24 May 2013

Federal AviationAdministration 11

Overview of Current FAA Process for

Airspace Integrationof Space Launch and Reentry Operations

Manfred Lachs Conference on the Regulation of Emerging Modes of

Aerospace Transportation

Daniel Murray

Office of Commercial Space Transportation

24 May 2013

Federal AviationAdministration



U.S. Commercial Space Transportation

• FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST)

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/

• Mission: To ensure protection of the public, property, and the national security and foreign policy interests of the United States during commercial launch or reentry activities, and to encourage, facilitate, and promote U.S. commercial space transportation

• Over 220 licensed and permitted commercial launches since 1989 with no public casualties or major property damage



U.S. SpaceportsCommercial/Government/Private Launch Sites

Kodiak Launch Complex

Blue Origin Launch Site

Vandenberg AFB

California Spaceport

Mojave Airport

Edwards AFB

White Sands Missile Range

SpaceportAmerica

Oklahoma Spaceport Wallops FlightFacility

Spaceport Florida

-Kennedy Space Center-Cape Canaveral Air Force Station

Mid-AtlanticRegional Spaceport

Reagan Test SiteKwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands

Sea Launch PlatformEquatorial Pacific Ocean

Key U.S. Federal Launch Site Non-Federal FAA-Licensed Launch Site Owned by University of Alaska Geophysical Institute Sole Site Operator

Cecil Field Spaceport

FAA/AST: December 2012Other spaceports have been proposed by: Alabama, Colorado, GeorgiaHawaii, Puerto Rico, and multiple locations in Texas.

Poker FlatResearchRange

SpaceXLaunch Site



Amateur Rockets



Making It Work• Today, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

accommodates space operations and amateur rocket activities in the National Airspace System (NAS) on a mission-by-mission basis

• A small FAA team works collaboratively with space launch and reentry operators to negotiate opportunities for them to safely accomplish their missions

• Goal: Minimize the effect of a launch or reentry on the efficiency and capacity of the NAS without jeopardizing opportunities for mission success



Current Air Traffic Management Approach

• Generally, FAA protects against potential space vehicle contingencies using preemptive airspace closures (i.e. “plan for failure”)• Relatively large volumes of airspace are closed in advance of

a launch, reentry, or amateur rocket operation to protect air traffic from hazards

• Toolset:• NOTAMs• Temporary Flight

Restrictions• Altitude Reservations • Special Use Airspace• Tactical Approaches



The Columbia Accident• The 2003 Columbia accident illustrated a need to better

manage the risk to aircraft flying near the potential debris hazard associated with space vehicles returning from orbit

• FAA procedures existed for Shuttle landings prior to Columbia, but they did not address the hazards to aircraft of falling debris

Debris Footprint

DFWN



Lessons Learned From Columbia

• Effective airspace management around space operations requires increased situational awareness• Identified need to:

• Accurately model a space vehicle accident

• Identify potentially affected airspace

• Assess impacts on air traffic

• Quickly distribute information to affected parties

• Identified FAA need for increased communication with space vehicle operator throughout a space operation



• FAA directly supported NASA on all 22 Shuttle missions since STS-114 in August of 2004

• Successfully demonstrated implementation of “operational airspace management around space operations” concept

• Notification was disseminated but airspace below and in front of reentering orbiter was left open to all traffic

• FAA was prepared to protect airspace based on receipt of accident notification from NASA

• Prototype software for reentry debris prediction was developed and used operationally



Operational Planning

1. Input

2. Development and Integration

3. Assessment

4. Decision Making

5. Final Planning for Operational Support



Operational Planning

• Negotiations between FAA US Navy, and SpaceX defined procedures for notification and coordination

• FAA evaluated effects on NAS traffic between Hawaii and Los Angeles and identified limits on acceptable landing locations

Example: SpaceX Dragon Reentries

•SpaceX proposed Dragon landing locations all along US West Coast•FAA evaluated danger area sizes, locations, and durations



Operational Execution1. Realtime monitoring

• Process led by FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center

• Stand up hotline and data connection with space operator• Monitor planned events against pre-defined timelines• Coordinate for release of airspace as soon as possible

2. Realtime response in the event of a vehicle failure• Compute best estimate of location and extent of hazarded

airspace using best available data• Work with affected ATC facilities to identify aircraft within

danger area and aircraft approaching danger area• Coordinate among ATC facilities to develop any traffic

management initiatives



Operational Execution

Example: SpaceX Dragon CRS2 Reentry• Used flow evaluation areas

(FEAs) on Traffic Situational Display (TSD) to track progress of reentry using data provided by SpaceX over secure data link

• SpaceX provided verbal mission status updates over hotline

The Most Recent ATCSCC Advisory

ATCSCC ADVZY 016 DCC 03/26/2013 DRAGON REENTRY VEHICLE

MESSAGE: THE DRAGON REENTRY VEHICLE HAS STARTED THE DE-ORBIT BURN FOR THE RETURN. THE DRAGON IS EXPECTED TO SPLASH DOWN IN THE PACIFIC OCEAN AT 1634UTC. NOTIFICATION OF COMPLETION OF THE OPERATION WILL BE FORWARDED THROUGH THE ADVISORY SYSTEM.

EFFECTIVE TIME:

261542 - 261634

SIGNATURE: 13/03/26 15:42



Operational Execution

Example: SpaceX Dragon C2 Reentry

• SpaceX would declare a breakup over the hotline

• FAA would compute updated danger area using last known state vector provided by SpaceX

• Input danger area coordinates into TSD and share across affected ATC facilities

• Coordinate with ATC facilities to implement necessary traffic management initiatives

Predicted Hazard Area

Updated Hazard Area



Post Operation

• Review plan and outcome to evaluate and verify safety and effect on NAS performance

• Work with operator to resolve any issues

• Gather metrics, document lessons learned

• Make process adjustments as necessary



Notes• Process is currently applied mission-by-mission, but

approaches are expected to evolve into a collaborative, standardized framework for NAS management

• Same approach and process is used for DoD/NASA launches and reentries as is used for commercial launches and reentries however, available alternate strategies may be more limited and timelines may be reduced

• Each mission proposes unique challenges but best practices are being identified that can be applied to different missions and different locations



International Coordination• FAA handles US launches/reentries affecting another

country’s airspace on a case-by-case basis

• For one-time events, procedures are worked out via teleconference between affected Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) and space operator

• For repeated events, FAA requires space operator to develop agreement with appropriate ANSP• Document ANSP’s notification and

coordination requirements and establish necessary procedures

• When a danger area overlaps an FIR boundary, each ANSP publishes a NOTAM for entire danger area



International Coordination

• Example: SpaceX Dragon Reentries• Extension of danger area from FAA’s Oakland Oceanic

(ZAK) FIR into Mexico’s Mazatlan Oceanic (MZT) FIR required negotiation of agreement between SpaceX, FAA, and Mazatlan Center

MZT

ZAK



Evolving the Approach• Transition from “planning for failure” to “operating for success”

• Airspace required to contain space vehicle hazards would only be closed in response to a vehicle failure, and airspace would remain open to all traffic otherwise, while…

• Vehicle designers invest in and develop technological innovations to increase reliability and keeping costs down

• Vehicle operators conduct high frequency operations and develop techniques that increase operational predictability

• ANSPs invest in and develop technologies that broaden and improve ATC capabilities

• Automate receipt, processing, and dissemination of data and information in real time

• Develop decision support for monitoring ops and responding to contingencies



Contact

Mr. Daniel P. Murray

Acting Manager

Space Transportation Development Division (AST-100)

Office of Commercial Space Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration

Washington, DC

[email protected]

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