NASA Procedural Requirements

NPR 8715.5B Effective Date: February 02, 2018 Expiration Date: August 02, 2024

Subject: Range Flight Safety Program

Responsible Office: Office of Safety and Mission Assurance

Chapter 2. Roles and Responsibilities

2.1 Chief, Safety and Mission Assurance (SMA)

2.1.1 The Chief, SMA, as stated in NPD 1000.3, is responsible for advising the Administrator and other senior officials on matters related to risk, safety, and mission success. As part of this responsibility, the Chief, SMA:

a. Establishes Agency policy, requirements, and guidelines to ensure range flight safety functions consistent with national policy and international guidelines.

b. Collects, develops, promulgates, and advises on procedures, tools, models, methods, and data, to assess and mitigate the risk associated with range flight operations.

c. Reviews, monitors, and periodically reports to the Agency on compliance with range flight safety requirements by NASA Centers and Mission Directorates and associated programs and projects.

d. Initiates, in conjunction with the relevant offices, notifications to, and coordinates with, external Agencies concerning significant events and non-compliances.

2.1.2 The Chief, SMA, establishes the NASA Range Flight Safety Program to support the implementation of these responsibilities and designates the NASA Range Flight Safety Program Manager to oversee and maintain this Program.

2.2 Center Directors

2.2.1 The Center Director is responsible for:

a. Protecting the public, NASA workforce, and property from potential harm resulting from NASA and non-NASA range flight activities and operations at his/her Center, or from vehicles assigned to his/her Center, and to limit exposure to risk to acceptable levels.

b. Providing resources (e.g., personnel qualified to perform range flight safety functions appropriate to the types of vehicles and range flight operations).

c. Overseeing the implementation of requirements in this NPR and applicable standards, including the establishment of Center-specific standards and adjudication of requests for relief.

d. Informing the Chief, SMA, of non-compliances with Agency range flight safety requirements and of other unsafe activities and practices.

e. Designating a qualified Center Range Flight Safety Lead (CRFSL).

Note: The person fulfilling this role may also be referred to as the Center Range Safety Representative, the Center Range Safety Manager, the Center Range Safety Chief Engineer, or be part of the Center Range Safety Organization.

2.3 Center Range Flight Safety Lead

2.3.1 The CRFSL is responsible for overseeing, monitoring, and evaluating Center and project implementation of this NPR, NASA-STD-8719.25, and applicable laws and regulations.

2.3.2 The CRFSL is part of the Institutional Mission Support Authority defined in NPD 1000.0.

2.3.3 For NASA controlled range flight operations, the CRFSL is responsible for:

a. Ensuring risk assessments and analyses are performed on behalf of the Center.

b. Providing concurrence on waivers and Equivalent Level of Safety (ELS) determinations.

c. Informing the Center Director and SMA Director of non-compliances with Agency range flight safety requirements and of other unsafe activities and practices.

d. Determining the need to monitor range flight operations and the need for flight termination capabilities.

e. Designating Range Safety Officers (RSOs) or Flight Safety Officers (FSOs) to monitor range flight operations and make real-time decisions concerning flight initiation and termination.

2.4 Mission Directorate Associate Administrator (MDAA)

The MDAA sponsoring or operating the mission is responsible for their program and project compliance with Agency and Center range flight safety requirements.

2.5 NASA Program/Project Managers Responsible for Flight Activities

Program Managers are responsible and accountable for the safe conduct of range flight operations (including aircraft and UAS flight operations) under their cognizance, in accordance with applicable requirements.

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