NASA Procedures and Guidelines
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NPR 8705.2 Eff. Date: June 19, 2003 Cancellation Date: February 07, 2005	Human-Rating Requirements and Guidelines for Space Flight Systems w/Change 2 (6/25/04)
| TOC | Change | Preface | Chapter1 | Chapter2 | Chapter3 | AppendixA | AppendixB | AppendixC | AppendixD | AppendixE | ALL |

Chapter 3: Compliance and Certification

3.1 Human-Rating Certification

3.1.1 Human-rating certification of space flight systems is the authorization granted by the AA for OSF to operate the space flight vehicle within its prescribed parameters for its defined missions as described in the program human-rating plan.

3.1.2 The program manager shall develop a human-rating plan for the human space flight system to include those areas outlined in paragraph P.2, Applicability, of this NPR (Requirement 30863). The human-rating plan should identify items and areas to be surveyed and provide a summary of the requirements that must be satisfied to achieve and sustain certification. The plan need not be a stand-alone plan provided it meets the requirements set forth in this document (at a minimum, all "shall" statements shall be addressed). The human-rating plan may be incorporated into the program plan developed through NPR 7120.5, latest revision.

3.1.2.1 Initial Human-Rating Plan Submission - The program manager should submit a request to the AA for OSF for initial certification. The submission package shall include the human-rating plan, description of the space flight system, reference missions, system safety program plan, and maintenance plan (necessary to ensure the system does not degrade through use, age, or exposure to the environment) (Requirement 30865).

3.1.2.2 Sustaining Certification - To maintain certification, the space flight system must be operated and maintained in the "as-certified" condition (Requirement 30866). The length of a certification shall be documented in the program's Human-Rating Plan (Requirement 30867)..

3.1.2.3 Recertification - If the space flight system undergoes major modifications or any changes to mission or environment, the program manager must update the human-rating plan and identify all the changes that impact system risk (Requirement 30868). The updated information must be submitted to the AA for OSF, and the vehicle must be recertified prior to flight (Requirement 30869).

3.1.2.4 Suspension of Certification - With significant failures or if during independent assessments and/or audits, deficiencies are identified in the approved design, operation, and/or maintenance of the space flight system, the AA for OSF can suspend the space flight system certification, thereby prohibiting use of the system until compliance is reached and/or prohibition has been resolved.

3.1.2.5 Reinstatement of Certification - The AA for OSF will reinstate human-rating certification when the cause of the suspension has been thoroughly investigated and satisfactorily corrected, and it has been established that there is maximum reasonable assurance that a failure will not imperil the flight crew or occupants and that personnel may be recovered without a disabling injury if there is an accident.

3.2 Certification Documentation Submission Requirements

Appendix C addresses program life cycle timeframe requirements for draft human-rating plan submittal, NASA Headquarters approval/disapproval, final human-rating plan approval and baseline, human-rating certified design, and certification renewal frequency.

3.3 Program Compliance

3.3.1 All NASA human space flight systems development programs shall incorporate plans for human rating beginning with the System Requirements Review (SRR) (Requirement 30874).

3.3.2 All programs shall demonstrate compliance with the language and intent of this document at the PDR and at other milestones as defined in the human-rating plan (Requirement 30875).

3.3.3 All programs shall demonstrate compliance with these human-rating requirements and obtain certification from the AA for OSF prior to first operational flight and first flight with humans onboard (Requirement 30876).

3.3.4 All programs shall develop a process to ensure compliance throughout the life of the program (Requirement 30877).

3.4 Requirements Tailoring, Deviations, and Waivers

3.4.1 Since space flight systems, missions, and environments vary significantly, all of the human-rating requirements may not be applicable to each. When a program manager for a specific human-rated space flight system believes a requirement does not apply, the program and project manager may tailor out that requirement. All proposed tailoring of requirements and justification shall be documented in the program human-rating plan that is submitted to NASA Headquarters for approval by the AA for OSF, with concurrences by the AA for SMA and the CHMO (Requirement 30879).

3.4.2 When a program manager for a specific human-rated system believes a requirement applies, but cannot be accomplished, or can be satisfied by alternate methods, the manager may request a deviation to that requirement. All proposed deviations shall be documented, with sound technical rationale, in the program human-rating plan submitted to NASA Headquarters for approval by the AA for OSF, with concurrences by the AA for SMA and the CHMO (Requirement 30880).

3.4.3 After program human-rating plan approval, all deviation and waivers may be implemented by the program manager where sound technical rationale exists, but those deviations and waivers shall be presented to the AA for OSF, the AA for SMA, and the CHMO at the major program milestone reviews (See Appendix C) (Requirement 30881). At a minimum, they should be presented at the PDR, CDR, Systems Acceptance Review (SAR), Test Readiness Review (TRR), and FRR. Note: The SRR would be completed prior to final program human-rating plan approval.

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