Center for Aerospace Technology

Contract No. DTFA01-01-D-03007 

RTI Report No. RTI/ 08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 

11/18/2004 

Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations 

and Maintenance Guideline Inputs and 

Technical Evaluation Report: 

Maintenance - Volume 3 

Final Report 

Prepared for 

Department of Transportation 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation 

AST-200 Licensing and Safety Division 

800 Independence Avenue, SW 

Washington, DC 20591 

RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute 

3000 N. Atlantic Avenue • Cocoa Beach, Florida 32931-5029 
NOTICE

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States 

Government assumes no liability for the contents or use thereof. The United 

States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or 

manufacturer's names may appear herein solely when they are considered 

essential to the objective of the report. This document does not contain any 

proprietary information. Consult the FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial 

Space Transportation (FAA/AST) as to the appropriateness of use of any parts of 

this document on a specific project. 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Guideline Inputs and 

Technical Evaluation Report:

Maintenance - Volume 3

Final Report

Prepared by

J. Timothy Middendorf

Janice Mendonca

Of

Research Triangle Institute

Center for Aerospace Technology-Florida Office

Department of Transportation

Federal Aviation Administration

Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation

AST-200 Licensing and Safety Division

800 Independence Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20591
Revision History

Release Author Date Changes Incorporated 

Draft RTI 8/18/04 Draft Release to FAA 

Final RTI 11/18/04 Final Release to FAA/AST 
Table of Contents

Table of Contents............................................................................................................ i

List of Figures................................................................................................................. ii

List of Tables................................................................................................................... ii

Executive Summary...................................................................................................... iii

1.0 Introduction .........................................................................................................1

1.1 Purpose..............................................................................................................1

1.2 Background .......................................................................................................1

1.3 Scope.................................................................................................................3

1.4 Relationship to RLV Licensing .......................................................................4

1.5 Subsystem and Functional Context...............................................................5

2.0 Maintenance Decomposition ..........................................................................8

3.0 General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations..............................10

4.0 Perform General Maintenance......................................................................18

4.1 General Discussion........................................................................................20

4.2 Guideline Input Considerations ....................................................................25

4.3 Guideline Recommendations .......................................................................27

5.0 Perform Unscheduled Maintenance............................................................47

5.1 General Discussion........................................................................................47

5.2 Guideline Input Considerations ....................................................................48

5.3 Guideline Recommendations .......................................................................49

6.0 Perform Scheduled Maintenance.................................................................53

6.1 General Discussion........................................................................................53

6.2 Guideline Input Considerations ....................................................................55

6.3 Guideline Recommendations .......................................................................57

Appendix A: Acronyms/Terminology .....................................................................63

Appendix B: RLV Guideline Input Suggestion Form..........................................73

Appendix C: Traceability of Maintenance Function Decomposition .............75

Endnotes ........................................................................................................................79

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F i 11/18/2004 
List of Figures

Figure 1 RLV Context Diagram......................................................................................5

Figure 2 RLV O&M Context............................................................................................6

Figure 3 Guidance Document Process.........................................................................7

Figure 4 Maintenance Functional Decomposition.......................................................8

Figure 5 Current Maintenance Functional Decomposition ......................................75

Figure 6 Previous Maintenance Functional Decomposition....................................76

List of Tables 

Table 1 Perform General Maintenance Definitions ...................................................18

Table 2 Perform Unscheduled Maintenance Definitions..........................................47

Table 3 Perform Scheduled Maintenance Definitions ..............................................53

Table 4 Maintain System Sub-Function Traceability................................................77

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F ii 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Executive Summary 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Executive Summary 

Development of commercial Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) continues to be 

of great interest to many private companies. The appeal rests in an RLV’s ability 

to support multiple mission types (e.g., cargo and “tourism”) and amortize 

development costs over the life of the operational vehicle. Commercial RLV 

companies plan to use both existing and new technologies in the 

design/development of a launch system. RLV Operations and Maintenance 

(O&M) of new launch systems have the potential to affect public safety; 

therefore, the Federal Aviation Administration’s Office of Commercial Space 

Transportation (FAA/AST) is in the process of developing preliminary guidelines 

for RLV O&M activities. These guidelines may be used to evaluate an RLV 

developer/operator’s license application. 

This Guideline Input and Technical Evaluation Report is intended to capture an 

initial set of Guideline Inputs (GIs) and Guideline Input Considerations (GICs) 

specific to the various functions associated with RLV maintenance, for any RLV 

concept, large or small, orbital or suborbital. This volume is the third of five such 

volumes; the first volume addressed RLV Subsystems; the second, RLV 

Operations; and the remaining 2 volumes address RLV O&M Training and 

Approval functions. 

A total of three functions within the maintenance domain have been identified for 

development of maintenance guideline inputs. Each of these functions relate to a 

unique set of sub-functions for the maintenance of the RLV. The focus and intent 

of this task, Delivery Task (0002), has been to capture those tasks with potential 

public safety risks that should be considered relative to RLV maintenance. In 

order to ensure these guidelines have been considered, RTI proposes that a 

series of manuals be required as part of an RLV developer’s final license 

application: Operations, Maintenance, Training, and Approval. These manuals 

would speak to the current requirements contained in the Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR) for RLV Mission License Rule (14 CFR Part 431) and would 

also allow an RLV developer/operator to specify how they intend to address 

FAA/AST O&M Guidelines. In this way, the RLV developer/operator has the 

ability to stipulate which of these guidelines are relevant to their vehicle design 

and ensures that public safety considerations associated with RLV maintenance 

tasks, such as those in this volume, have been fully addressed. 

In summary, the Guideline Inputs in this volume, and in the other four Guideline 

Input volumes, are intended to contribute to a common set of criteria by which 

the FAA and the RLV industry can assess public safety aspects of RLV O&M 

processes. As the industry matures, it is expected that additional guidelines will 

be developed; consequently, these Guideline Input volumes are considered to be 

living documents that will evolve as the RLV industry evolves. 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F iii 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Executive Summary 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

1.0 Introduction 

Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs) will require guidelines and regulatory 

language to be developed for new approaches in both Operations and 

Maintenance (O&M). These approaches may have a direct effect on public safety 

where RLVs are being operated and maintained. This Guideline Input and 

Technical Evaluation Report is intended to capture an initial set of Guideline 

Inputs (GIs) and Guideline Input Considerations (GICs) ordered around the 

various functions associated with RLV maintenance, for any RLV concept, large 

or small, orbital or suborbital. This volume is the third of five such volumes: the 

first volume addresses RLV Subsystems; the second, RLV Operations; and the 

remaining 2 volumes address RLV Training and Approval Functions. The inputs 

identified in this volume, and in the other four Guideline Input volumes, contribute 

to a common set of criteria by which the FAA and the RLV industry can assess 

public safety aspects of RLV O&M processes. As the RLV industry matures, it is 

expected that additional guidelines will be developed, making these living 

documents that will evolve as the RLV industry evolves. 

1.1 Purpose 

The purpose of this document is to provide basic Guideline Inputs/Considerations 

for RLV maintenance, as well as a top-level introduction of the pertinent RLV 

maintenance functions. The intent is for these Guideline Inputs/Considerations to 

be general enough to be applicable for any RLV concept, large or small, orbital or 

suborbital. In this context, “pertinent” maintenance is considered any activity 

associated with an RLV’s general/common maintenance tasks, unscheduled 

maintenance, and scheduled maintenance that has a potential to impact public 

safety. The functions identified here encompass activities associated with a 

variety of Concept of Operations (CONOPS) being proposed by the industry. 

1.2 Background 

These Guideline Inputs are the result of a focused effort by Federal Aviation 

Administration’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST) to 

facilitate a common understanding between both regulator and industry on what 

is expected from RLV operators and maintainers in order to ensure public safety. 

The creation of these Guideline Inputs was prompted by the response to an 

FAA/AST presentation of an RLV O&M White Paper to the Commercial Space 

Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC) in October of 19991

. 

Industry feedback to that paper, along with FAA-directed research activities, led 

to the initiation of an information-only Rulemaking Project Record (RPR) intended 

to establish formal rules for RLV O&M. These Guideline Inputs represent an 

interim step toward a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) for RLV O&M and 

are intended to serve as a means by which those items requiring formalization as 

a rule can be identified and validated both by the FAA and by industry. However, 

it should be recognized that an NPRM would only be developed after the RLV 

industry is sufficiently mature. 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

RTI used the Systems Functions and Procedural Items identified during previous 

FAA tasking2

 as a starting point. It was determined that a general model was 

needed to place the Systems Functions and Procedural Items in context. These 

have been further developed in a subsequent tasking and now in this Order. A 

context diagram, Figure 1 in Section 1.5, was developed to provide this 

contextual framework, as well as provide a means of marrying the O&M topdown analysis, being completed by RTI, with the bottom-up analysis, being 

accomplished internally within the FAA. 

1.2.1 Statement of Understanding 

A Statement of Understanding (SOU) between the FAA and the RTI Team has 

been developed to govern each of the RLV O&M tasks. The following text 

presents the SOU developed for this effort: 

“The RTI Team will continue to support FAA/AST-100 in the development of 

RLV O&M guidelines and technical evaluation criteria. 

This task will build on the work accomplished in the RLV O&M Top-Down 

Analyses performed under DO2 and DO3 and complement the RLV O&M 

Guidelines developed under DO4 of the reference contract. In particular, the 

RTI Team will develop material to aid FAA/AST-100 identify the O&M 

technical evaluation criteria and performance standards for safety-critical RLV 

maintenance, training, and approval functions. In performing the specified 

work, particular attention will be made to any unique features, including 

proven and unproven RLV O&M activities, and their correlation to any historic 

lessons-learned in the Space Shuttle, airline and RLV research community. 

Under Order 0002, RTI will deliver the final guideline input volumes: 

Maintenance - Volume 3, Training – Volume 4, and Approval - Volume 5. 

The following summarizes specific topics that will be addressed: 

1. Guideline inputs and rationale: 

The major RLV O&M subsystem and function safety items, as they pertain to 

the subject volumes, will be developed into guideline inputs along with the 

supporting rationale. These will be presented in the format approved by 

FAA/AST under DO4. 

2. Further refinement of the Subsystem and Functional Decomposition: 

A number of modifications to the current Functional Decomposition diagrams 

have been identified including the need to add Functions for Contingency 

Operations, Vehicle Configuration Management, and Simulation 

Requirements. The Functional Decomposition diagrams will be modified to 

reflect the functional refinements, as required. 

3. Continued data collection from the aviation and space domains: 

Continue to extract information from traditional aviation, the Space Shuttle, 

and other RLV programs in support of the guideline and technical evaluation 

criteria development.” 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 2 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Introduction 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

1.3 Scope 

The following Guideline Inputs are intended for use by the RLV Industry and the 

FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation in the preparation and 

evaluation of RLV license applications and O&M plans. The scope of these 

Guideline Inputs is bounded by the jurisdictional authority provided to the FAA by 

Congress 112 STAT. 2848 (Public Law 105-303-Oct. 28, 1998). Additionally, 

these Guideline Inputs do not affect or amend the content of the licensing rules, 

but rather are designed to help the FAA and RLV Industry jointly ensure the rules 

are both followed and applied in a consistent manner. 

1.3.1 Guideline Input Philosophy 

These Guideline Inputs have been developed to serve as a repository for 

best/recommended practices. It is expected that a portion of these practices will 

ultimately be formalized in a federal regulation that will govern the RLV Industry. 

Some inputs may be revisited as newer technologies are developed and better 

procedures emerge as the industry matures. 

A wide variety of sources were reviewed and analyzed to develop the content of 

these Guideline Inputs. Primary consideration was given to lessons-learned 

drawn from the aviation and space community. In some cases, these lessons are 

explicit and are clearly technology-independent public safety issues and thus 

could be written as a requirement. In these cases, Guideline Inputs (GIs) have 

been developed and the term “shall” is used. These GIs are numbered 

sequentially with a Maintenance Function prefix (e.g., the first Perform 

Maintenance Guideline Input is numbered Perf Gen Maint GI-1.) It is reasonable 

to assume that these items will be included in any subsequent rule development 

governing RLV O&M. 

In many cases, however, the lesson or issue being evaluated is less clearly 

defined and sufficient experience or research is not available to validate the 

lesson or issue. Others are technology dependent and only apply to a narrow set 

of RLV concepts. For these cases, Guideline Input Considerations (GICs) have 

been developed and the term “should” is used. These GICs are numbered 

sequentially with a Maintenance Function prefix (e.g., the first Perform 

Maintenance Guideline Input Consideration is numbered Perf Gen Maint GIC -1.) 

While these GICs are candidates for inclusion in any subsequent rulemaking, it is 

reasonable to assume that further work may be necessary. 

Please note that there are many additional safety issues that an RLV Operator 

should consider for the safety of maintainers and technicians; FAA/AST is only 

currently charged with public safety concerns. Further, no delineation of when 

and how rules would be applied is made in these considerations. Some 

guidelines may be considered during the licensing stage while others may be 

considered as repeated launches are executed for the same RLV under a 

specific launch license. 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 3 11/18/2004 
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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Within the following sections, Occupational Safety and Health Administration 

(OSHA) appears in many of the Inter/Intra Agency Considerations subsections. 

Although OSHA is concerned with worker safety and not the general public, the 

authors of this document believe that jurisdictional issues should be addressed 

for cases where a worker safety situation may escalate into a public safety 

concern. 

1.3.2 Suggestion Form 

It should be noted that these Guideline Inputs are expected to evolve as the 

industry matures and additional data becomes available, either from research or 

through actual flight activity. The reader is encouraged to share their experiences 

and knowledge through use of the Suggestion Form in Appendix B: RLV 

Guideline Input Suggestion Form. It is the FAA’s intent to periodically review 

these Guideline Inputs to ensure they are current, particularly with respect to 

issues that are technology dependent. 

1.4 Relationship to RLV Licensing 

The impetus for this effort was to provide a common set of criteria related to 

O&M that could be used by FAA/AST to evaluate RLV developer/operator license 

applications. The Guideline Inputs and the related Guideline Input Considerations 

contained in this volume are focused on RLV maintenance with particular 

emphasis placed on issues unique to the function being addressed and failure to 

follow these guidelines could pose a risk to the public. RLV developer/operators 

are expected to explain how each Guideline is satisfied for their particular vehicle 

design or CONOPS. 

In a previous tasking, the RTI team proposed a formal set of readiness reviews, 

one for operations and one for maintenance. In addition, the concept of 

Instructions for Continued Flight-worthiness (ICF) and an Operations or Flight 

Manual was introduced. The reviews were intended to be focused activities 

within the context of the overall mission readiness review required by the RLV 

licensing rule. The Operations Manual was designed to lend form to the mission 

operational requirements. The ICF filled a gap in the current licensing description 

by addressing those considerations for the turnaround of an RLV and preparation 

for subsequent flights. The FAA has adopted the term Maintenance Program 

Plan (MPP) in place of ICF. Additionally, RTI proposes that the FAA also 

incorporate the requirement for the RLV Operator to develop and utilize an 

approved Maintenance Manual. The Maintenance Program Plan is considered by 

RTI to be similar in scope and breadth to the CONOPS document. 

RTI believes that to further clarify the licensing rule and to better align with the 

proposed guideline structure, two additional data items should be provided to 

AST by the RLV developer/operator for review. These two items are a Training 

Manual and an Approval Manual. Note that this data can be packaged as part of 

the Operations Manual, Maintenance Manual, in a combined document, or 

individual documents, if the license applicant so chooses, provided that the data 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 4 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Introduction 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

is clearly identified. The four documents, taken together, will allow individual RLV 

developer/operators to address FAA/AST Guidelines. At the same time, the use 

of a common set of manuals will help FAA/AST evaluate the appropriateness and 

completeness of the provided data in a uniform manner. 

1.5 Subsystem and Functional Context 

Functional Guideline Inputs have been developed for those activities associated 

with operations and maintenance, as well as the related areas of training and 

approval. Figure 1 illustrates how these four areas relate to one another and 

where they fit in the broader scope of RLV licensing, approvals, and RLV 

development. It should be noted this effort considers only the items to the right of 

the vertical line in Figure 1. This relationship is highlighted in Figure 2. 

Proposed FAR 4xx(s) 

Demonstrate 

Flight-worthiness 

Train 

Fly 

(Operations) 

Proposed FAR 491

 Design/Production impacts: 

Operations

 Design/Production impacts: 

Maintenance 

Operating Approval 

Maintain 

(Maintenance) 

Proposed FAR 443 

Flight Ground 

Approve 

(Personnel/Facilities/ 

Equipment/Material/ 

Procedures) 

Proposed FAR 4xx(s) 

Design Prototype Design Safety 

Approval 

Launch/ Reentry 

License 

FAR 431 

Produce 

Production 

Process 

Approval 

Develop 

Business 

Plan 

Identify 

Market 

Continued 

Flight-worthiness

 Accident/Incident Lessons Learned 

Figure 1 RLV Context Diagram 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 5 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Introduction 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Proposed FAR 4xx(s) 

Train 

Fly 

(Operations) 

Proposed FAR 491 

Operating Approval 

Maintain 

(Maintenance) 

Proposed FAR 443 

Flight Ground 

Approve 

(Personnel/Facilities/

Equipment/Material/ 

Procedures) 

Launch/Reentry 

License 

FAR 431 

Continued Flight-worthiness 

Figure 2 RLV O&M Context 

It should also be noted that this top-down analysis is being supplemented by a 

bottom-up analysis effort being conducted by the FAA. The two efforts taken 

together are intended to serve as the basis for guidance development in the area 

of RLV O&M, see Figure 3. 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 6 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Introduction 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Bottoms-Up AnalysisUp Analysis

Figure 3 Guidance Document Process

As shown in Figure 3, the ultimate product of this activity is expected to be one or 

more guidance documents from the FAA. The FAA has realized that given the 

current level of maturity within the commercial RLV industry, the best approach to 

take in the near-term is the production of guidelines that can be employed by 

both the FAA and industry to evaluate proposed RLV’s O&M activities on public 

safety. With this in mind, the top-down analysis has been organized around a 

‘divide and conquer’ approach where individual subsystems and functions are 

examined for their potential contribution to public safety. 

The following sections describe each top-level function and major sub-functions; 

provide definitions for each function and sub-functions; and provides a brief

treatment of the major public-safety considerations for each function. It should be 

noted that the functions depicted and discussed are presented in terms of an 

action, hence the term “function”. This is in contrast to the subsystems that are 

addressed in Subsystems-Volume 1 of this document, which are hardware 

related.

Bottom-Up Analysis

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 7 11/18/2004

FAA Guidance

Products

Orders

Advisory Circulars

Rules

Guidelines

FAA/

AST

Training/Approval

(Part 465 )

Maintenance

(Part 443)

Operations

(Parts 465 & 491)

Integrate

Updates

Vol 5 

Guideline

Inputs

Vol 4 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Vol 3 

Guide -

line

Inputs

Updates

Vol 2 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Vol 1 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Top-Down Analysis

RTI/ 

FAAC

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Demonstrate

Flightworthiness

Train

Fly (Operations)

Proposed FAR 491

Design/Production impacts: Operations

Design/Production impacts: Maintenance

Operating Approval

Maintain

(Maintenance)

Proposed FAR 443

Flight Ground

Approve (Personnel/Facilities/ Equipment/Material/ Procedures)

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Design Prototype Design Safety

Approval

Launch/Re - entry License

FAR 431

Produce Production

Process

Approval

Develop

Business

Plan

Identify

Market

Continued Flightworthiness

CONTEXT

Approval

Training

Maintenance

Operations

Subsystems

Training Administer Knowledge Test

Administer

Practical Test

Develop Training

Perform Training

Test

Report & Record

Develop Curriculum

Develop Materials

Develop Currency Requirements

Develop Simulators

Develop Facilities

Train Subsystems

Train Functions

Train Ground Ops

Train Flight Ops

Train Maintenance

Train Flight Crew

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Other Personnel

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Flight Crew Train Other Personnel

Personnel

Training

Approval

Approve Ground Ops Personnel

Approve Flight Ops Personnel

Approve Maintenance

Personnel

Approve Ground Crew

Approve Other Personnel

Approve Maintainers/ Technicians

Approve Flight Crew

Approve Other Personnel Personnel Approval

Facilities/ Equip/ Material/

Procedures Approval

Approve Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Acceptance

Approve Operations Fac/ Equip/Mat/Procs

Approve Maintenance Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Approve Training

Fac/Equip/Mat

Approve Curriculum

Approve Materials

Approve Training Currency Requirements

Approve Training Simulators

Approve Training Facilities

Approval Approve Other Personnel (Personnel/ Facilities/

Equipment/ Material/ Procedures)

Approve Ops Materials

Approve Ops Equipment

Approve Ops Facilities

Approve Maint Materials

Approve Maint Equipment

Approve Maint Facilities

Develop /Approve Acceptance Scenarios Develop /Approve AcceptanceMaterials

Apply Proficiency Standards

Develop /Approve

Acceptance Equip/ Simulators

Develop /Approve Acceptance Facilities

Approve Maint Procedures

Approve Ops Procedures

Approve Training Procs

Approve Acceptance Procedures

SubSystems

Propulsion Communications

Nav/Guidance

Flight Control

TPS

Software

Structures

Hydraulics

Pneumatics

Payload/People Systems

Crew Systems

Flight Safety System Environmental Systems

Surveilance System

Propellant Management System

Health Monitor & Data Recorders

Land/Recovery Systems

Facilities

Ground Support Equipment

Operations

Approval

Training

Maintenance

Operations

(Operations)

Operations

Launch

Fly

Flight Operations

Perform Ground Operations

Prepare Ground Operations

Recover

Land

Plan Flight

Monitor Vehicle Health

Assess Over -Flight Risk Analyze Impact Limit Lines

Perform COLA & COMBO

Interact with ATC/STC/ Coast Guard

Plan Trajectory

Transport Integrate Vehicle

Handle Hazard Material

Protect Personnel

Manage Propellant

Hazard Material Handling

Monitor Vehicle Health

Payload/Passenger Egress

Transport

Communicate

Personnel Protection

Manage Propellant

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Liftoff Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC

Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety

Manage Flight

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Operate GSE/Facilties

D e R - Orbit/ enter

Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Propel

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Control Flight Track Vehicle

Propel

Surveil Flight Environment

Stage Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Maintenance

Maintain

System (Maintenance) Perform Turn Around

Maintenance

Perform

Part/Subsystem Life- Cycle Replacement

Correct Deficiencies

Perform Post Flight Inspections

Perform U n- Scheduled Maintenance

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Pre -Flight Inspection Perform

Perform Interval Driven

Maintenance

Perform Scheduled

Maintenance

Return to Service

Return to Service

FAA Guidance

Products

Orders

Advisory Circulars

Rules

Guidelines

FAA/

AST

Training/Approval

(Part 465 )

Maintenance

(Part 443)

Operations

(Parts 465 & 491)

Integrate

Updates

Vol 5 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Vol 5 

Guideline

Inputs

Vol 4 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Vol 4 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Vol 3 

Guide -

line

Inputs

Updates

Vol 3 

Guide -

line

Inputs

Updates

Vol 2 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Vol 1 

Guideline

Inputs

Updates

Top-Down Analysis

RTI/ 

FAAC

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Demonstrate

Flightworthiness

Train

Fly (Operations)

Proposed FAR 491

Design/Production impacts: Operations

Design/Production impacts: Maintenance

Operating Approval

Maintain

(Maintenance)

Proposed FAR 443

Flight Ground

Approve (Personnel/Facilities/ Equipment/Material/ Procedures)

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Design Prototype Design Safety

Approval

Launch/Re - entry License

FAR 431

Produce Production

Process

Approval

Develop

Business

Plan

Identify

Market

Continued Flightworthiness

CONTEXT

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Demonstrate

Flightworthiness

Train

Fly (Operations)

Proposed FAR 491

Design/Production impacts: Operations

Design/Production impacts: Maintenance

Operating Approval

Maintain

(Maintenance)

Proposed FAR 443

Flight Ground

Approve (Personnel/Facilities/ Equipment/Material/ Procedures)

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Design Prototype Design Safety

Approval

Launch/Re - entry License

FAR 431

Produce Production

Process

Approval

Develop

Business

Plan

Identify

Market

Continued Flightworthiness

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Demonstrate

Flightworthiness

Train

Fly (Operations)

Proposed FAR 491

Design/Production impacts: Operations

Design/Production impacts: Maintenance

Operating Approval

Maintain

(Maintenance)

Proposed FAR 443

Flight Ground

Approve (Personnel/Facilities/ Equipment/Material/ Procedures)

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Design Prototype Design Safety

Approval

Launch/Re - entry License

FAR 431

Produce Production

Process

Approval

Develop

Business

Plan

Identify

Market

Continued Flightworthiness

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Demonstrate

Flightworthiness

Train

Fly (Operations)

Proposed FAR 491

Design/Production impacts: Operations

Design/Production impacts: Maintenance

Operating Approval

Maintain

(Maintenance)

Proposed FAR 443

Flight Ground

Approve (Personnel/Facilities/ Equipment/Material/ Procedures)

Proposed FAR 4xx(s)

Design Prototype Design Safety

Approval

Launch/Re - entry License

FAR 431

Produce Production

Process

Approval

Develop

Business

Plan

Identify

Market

Continued Flightworthiness

CONTEXT

Approval

Training

Maintenance

Operations

Subsystems

Training Administer Knowledge Test

Administer

Practical Test

Develop Training

Perform Training

Test

Report & Record

Develop Curriculum

Develop Materials

Develop Currency Requirements

Develop Simulators

Develop Facilities

Train Subsystems

Train Functions

Train Ground Ops

Train Flight Ops

Train Maintenance

Train Flight Crew

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Other Personnel

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Flight Crew Train Other Personnel

Personnel

Training Training Administer Knowledge Test

Administer

Practical Test

Develop Training

Perform Training

Test

Report & Record

Develop Curriculum

Develop Materials

Develop Currency Requirements

Develop Simulators

Develop Facilities

Train Subsystems

Train Functions

Train Ground Ops

Train Flight Ops

Train Maintenance

Train Flight Crew

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Other Personnel

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Flight Crew Train Other Personnel

Personnel

Training

Administer Knowledge Test

Administer

Practical Test

Develop Training

Perform Training

Test

Report & Record

Develop Curriculum

Develop Materials

Develop Currency Requirements

Develop Simulators

Develop Facilities

Train Subsystems

Train Functions

Train Ground Ops

Train Flight Ops

Train Maintenance

Train Flight Crew

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Other Personnel

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Flight Crew Train Other Personnel

Personnel

Training

Administer Knowledge Test

Administer

Practical Test

Develop Training

Perform Training

Test

Report & Record

Develop Curriculum

Develop Materials

Develop Currency Requirements

Develop Simulators

Develop Facilities

Train Subsystems

Train Functions

Train Ground Ops

Train Flight Ops

Train Maintenance

Train Flight Crew

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Other Personnel

Train Maintainers/ Technicians

Train Flight Crew Train Other Personnel

Personnel

Training

Approval

Approve Ground Ops Personnel

Approve Flight Ops Personnel

Approve Maintenance

Personnel

Approve Ground Crew

Approve Other Personnel

Approve Maintainers/ Technicians

Approve Flight Crew

Approve Other Personnel Personnel Approval

Facilities/ Equip/ Material/

Procedures Approval

Approve Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Acceptance

Approve Operations Fac/ Equip/Mat/Procs

Approve Maintenance Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Approve Training

Fac/Equip/Mat

Approve Curriculum

Approve Materials

Approve Training Currency Requirements

Approve Training Simulators

Approve Training Facilities

Approval Approve Other Personnel (Personnel/ Facilities/

Equipment/ Material/ Procedures)

Approve Ops Materials

Approve Ops Equipment

Approve Ops Facilities

Approve Maint Materials

Approve Maint Equipment

Approve Maint Facilities

Develop /Approve Acceptance Scenarios Develop /Approve AcceptanceMaterials

Apply Proficiency Standards

Develop /Approve

Acceptance Equip/ Simulators

Develop /Approve Acceptance Facilities

Approve Maint Procedures

Approve Ops Procedures

Approve Training Procs

Approve Acceptance Procedures

Approval

Approve Ground Ops Personnel

Approve Flight Ops Personnel

Approve Maintenance

Personnel

Approve Ground Crew

Approve Other Personnel

Approve Maintainers/ Technicians

Approve Flight Crew

Approve Other Personnel Personnel Approval

Facilities/ Equip/ Material/

Procedures Approval

Approve Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Acceptance

Approve Operations Fac/ Equip/Mat/Procs

Approve Maintenance Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Approve Training

Fac/Equip/Mat

Approve Curriculum

Approve Materials

Approve Training Currency Requirements

Approve Training Simulators

Approve Training Facilities

Approval Approve Other Personnel (Personnel/ Facilities/

Equipment/ Material/ Procedures)

Approve Ops Materials

Approve Ops Equipment

Approve Ops Facilities

Approve Maint Materials

Approve Maint Equipment

Approve Maint Facilities

Develop /Approve Acceptance Scenarios Develop /Approve AcceptanceMaterials

Apply Proficiency Standards

Develop /Approve

Acceptance Equip/ Simulators

Develop /Approve Acceptance Facilities

Approve Maint Procedures

Approve Ops Procedures

Approve Training Procs

Approve Acceptance Procedures

Approve Ground Ops Personnel

Approve Flight Ops Personnel

Approve Maintenance

Personnel

Approve Ground Crew

Approve Other Personnel

Approve Maintainers/ Technicians

Approve Flight Crew

Approve Other Personnel Personnel Approval

Facilities/ Equip/ Material/

Procedures Approval

Approve Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Acceptance

Approve Operations Fac/ Equip/Mat/Procs

Approve Maintenance Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Approve Training

Fac/Equip/Mat

Approve Curriculum

Approve Materials

Approve Training Currency Requirements

Approve Training Simulators

Approve Training Facilities

Approval Approve Other Personnel (Personnel/ Facilities/

Equipment/ Material/ Procedures)

Approve Ops Materials

Approve Ops Equipment

Approve Ops Facilities

Approve Maint Materials

Approve Maint Equipment

Approve Maint Facilities

Develop /Approve Acceptance Scenarios Develop /Approve AcceptanceMaterials

Apply Proficiency Standards

Develop /Approve

Acceptance Equip/ Simulators

Develop /Approve Acceptance Facilities

Approve Maint Procedures

Approve Ops Procedures

Approve Training Procs

Approve Acceptance Procedures

Approve Ground Ops Personnel

Approve Flight Ops Personnel

Approve Maintenance

Personnel

Approve Ground Crew

Approve Other Personnel

Approve Maintainers/ Technicians

Approve Flight Crew

Approve Other Personnel Personnel Approval

Facilities/ Equip/ Material/

Procedures Approval

Approve Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Acceptance

Approve Operations Fac/ Equip/Mat/Procs

Approve Maintenance Fac/Equip/Mat/ Procs

Approve Training

Fac/Equip/Mat

Approve Curriculum

Approve Materials

Approve Training Currency Requirements

Approve Training Simulators

Approve Training Facilities

Approval Approve Other Personnel (Personnel/ Facilities/

Equipment/ Material/ Procedures)

Approve Ops Materials

Approve Ops Equipment

Approve Ops Facilities

Approve Maint Materials

Approve Maint Equipment

Approve Maint Facilities

Develop /Approve Acceptance Scenarios Develop /Approve AcceptanceMaterials

Apply Proficiency Standards

Develop /Approve

Acceptance Equip/ Simulators

Develop /Approve Acceptance Facilities

Approve Maint Procedures

Approve Ops Procedures

Approve Training Procs

Approve Acceptance Procedures

SubSystems

Propulsion Communications

Nav/Guidance

Flight Control

TPS

Software

Structures

Hydraulics

Pneumatics

Payload/People Systems

Crew Systems

Flight Safety System Environmental Systems

Surveilance System

Propellant Management System

Health Monitor & Data Recorders

Land/Recovery Systems

Facilities

Ground Support Equipment

Operations

Approval

Training

Maintenance

SubSystems

Propulsion Communications

Nav/Guidance

Flight Control

TPS

Software

Structures

Hydraulics

Pneumatics

Payload/People Systems

Crew Systems

Flight Safety System Environmental Systems

Surveilance System

Propellant Management System

Health Monitor & Data Recorders

Land/Recovery Systems

Facilities

Ground Support Equipment

Operations

Approval

Training

Maintenance

Propulsion Communications

Nav/Guidance

Flight Control

TPS

Software

Structures

Hydraulics

Pneumatics

Payload/People Systems

Crew Systems

Flight Safety System Environmental Systems

Surveilance System

Propellant Management System

Health Monitor & Data Recorders

Land/Recovery Systems

Facilities

Ground Support Equipment

Operations

Approval

Training

Maintenance

Propulsion Communications

Nav/Guidance

Flight Control

TPS

Software

Structures

Hydraulics

Pneumatics

Payload/People Systems

Crew Systems

Flight Safety System Environmental Systems

Surveilance System

Propellant Management System

Health Monitor & Data Recorders

Land/Recovery Systems

Facilities

Ground Support Equipment

Operations

Approval

Training

Maintenance

Operations

(Operations)

Operations

Launch

Fly

Flight Operations

Perform Ground Operations

Prepare Ground Operations

Recover

Land

Plan Flight

Monitor Vehicle Health

Assess Over -Flight Risk Analyze Impact Limit Lines

Perform COLA & COMBO

Interact with ATC/STC/ Coast Guard

Plan Trajectory

Transport Integrate Vehicle

Handle Hazard Material

Protect Personnel

Manage Propellant

Hazard Material Handling

Monitor Vehicle Health

Payload/Passenger Egress

Transport

Communicate

Personnel Protection

Manage Propellant

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Liftoff Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC

Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety

Manage Flight

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Operate GSE/Facilties

D e R - Orbit/ enter

Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Propel

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Control Flight Track Vehicle

Propel

Surveil Flight Environment

Stage Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Operations

(Operations)

Operations

Launch

Fly

Flight Operations

Perform Ground Operations

Prepare Ground Operations

Recover

Land

Plan Flight

Monitor Vehicle Health

Assess Over -Flight Risk Analyze Impact Limit Lines

Perform COLA & COMBO

Interact with ATC/STC/ Coast Guard

Plan Trajectory

Transport Integrate Vehicle

Handle Hazard Material

Protect Personnel

Manage Propellant

Hazard Material Handling

Monitor Vehicle Health

Payload/Passenger Egress

Transport

Communicate

Personnel Protection

Manage Propellant

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Liftoff Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC

Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety

Manage Flight

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Operate GSE/Facilties

D e R - Orbit/ enter

Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Propel

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Control Flight Track Vehicle

Propel

Surveil Flight Environment

Stage Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment (Operations)

Operations

Launch

Fly

Flight Operations

Perform Ground Operations

Prepare Ground Operations

Recover

Land

Plan Flight

Monitor Vehicle Health

Assess Over -Flight Risk Analyze Impact Limit Lines

Perform COLA & COMBO

Interact with ATC/STC/ Coast Guard

Plan Trajectory

Transport Integrate Vehicle

Handle Hazard Material

Protect Personnel

Manage Propellant

Hazard Material Handling

Monitor Vehicle Health

Payload/Passenger Egress

Transport

Communicate

Personnel Protection

Manage Propellant

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Liftoff Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC

Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety

Manage Flight

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Operate GSE/Facilties

D e R - Orbit/ enter

Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Propel

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Control Flight Track Vehicle

Propel

Surveil Flight Environment

Stage Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment (Operations)

Operations

Launch

Fly

Flight Operations

Perform Ground Operations

Prepare Ground Operations

Recover

Land

Plan Flight

Monitor Vehicle Health

Assess Over -Flight Risk Analyze Impact Limit Lines

Perform COLA & COMBO

Interact with ATC/STC/ Coast Guard

Plan Trajectory

Transport Integrate Vehicle

Handle Hazard Material

Protect Personnel

Manage Propellant

Hazard Material Handling

Monitor Vehicle Health

Payload/Passenger Egress

Transport

Communicate

Personnel Protection

Manage Propellant

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Liftoff Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC

Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety

Manage Flight

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Operate GSE/Facilties

D e R - Orbit/ enter

Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Propel

(Operations)

Operations

Launch

Fly

Flight Operations

Perform Ground Operations

Prepare Ground Operations

Recover

Land

Plan Flight

Monitor Vehicle Health

Assess Over -Flight Risk Analyze Impact Limit Lines

Perform COLA & COMBO

Interact with ATC/STC/ Coast Guard

Plan Trajectory

Transport Integrate Vehicle

Handle Hazard Material

Protect Personnel

Manage Propellant

Hazard Material Handling

Monitor Vehicle Health

Payload/Passenger Egress

Transport

Communicate

Personnel Protection

Manage Propellant

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Liftoff Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC

Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight

Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety

Manage Flight

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Operate GSE/Facilties

D e R - Orbit/ enter

Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Propel

Monitor Vehicle Health

Manage Flight Cmd& Ctrl Flight Safety Manage Environment

Interact with ATC/STC Communicate

Control Flight Track Vehicle

Propel

Surveil Flight Environment

Stage Control Flight

Track Vehicle Surveil Flight Environment

Maintenance

Maintain

System (Maintenance) Perform Turn Around

Maintenance

Perform

Part/Subsystem Life- Cycle Replacement

Correct Deficiencies

Perform Post Flight Inspections

Perform U n- Scheduled Maintenance

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Pre -Flight Inspection Perform

Perform Interval Driven

Maintenance

Perform Scheduled

Maintenance

Return to Service

Return to Service

Maintenance

Maintain

System (Maintenance) Perform Turn Around

Maintenance

Perform

Part/Subsystem Life- Cycle Replacement

Correct Deficiencies

Perform Post Flight Inspections

Perform U n- Scheduled Maintenance

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Pre -Flight Inspection Perform

Perform Interval Driven

Maintenance

Perform Scheduled

Maintenance

Return to Service

Return to Service

Maintain

System (Maintenance) Perform Turn Around

Maintenance

Perform

Part/Subsystem Life- Cycle Replacement

Correct Deficiencies

Perform Post Flight Inspections

Perform U n- Scheduled Maintenance

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Pre -Flight Inspection Perform

Perform Interval Driven

Maintenance

Perform Scheduled

Maintenance

Return to Service

Return to Service

Maintain

System (Maintenance) Perform Turn Around

Maintenance

Perform

Part/Subsystem Life- Cycle Replacement

Correct Deficiencies

Perform Post Flight Inspections

Perform U n- Scheduled Maintenance

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Diagnose

Inspect

Repair

Alter

Report

Pre -Flight Inspection Perform

Perform Interval Driven

Maintenance

Perform Scheduled

Maintenance

Return to Service

Return to Service
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Maintenance Decomposition 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

2.0 Maintenance Decomposition 

Figure 4 provides a functional decomposition for RLV maintenance as developed 

in this tasking. Utilizing the aviation model for maintenance contained in MSG-3, 

the Maintenance Function was broken into three major sub-functions, Perform 

General Maintenance, Perform Unscheduled Maintenance, and Perform 

Scheduled Maintenance activities. The sub-functions include necessary 

maintenance tasks that are common to any RLV, Ground Support Equipment 

(GSE), and Facility; preparation of the RLV for its next flight; any interval-driven 

maintenance; and finally any condition-based maintenance for the RLV, GSE, or 

Facility. The RLV Operator shall plan all of these activities as early as possible in 

the pre-application process in the form of a Maintenance Program Plan. The 

FAA/AST shall review the plan for its relevance to the specific RLV, for 

completeness and how it satisfies FAA requirements and criteria. 

Maintain 

System 

[RLV, GSE, Facility] 

(Maintenance) 

Perform 

Condition Based 

Maintenance 

Inspect 

Report 

Perform 

Interval Driven 

Maintenance 

Perform 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

Perform 

Scheduled 

Maintenance 

Protect Vehicle/ 

Elements 

Protect Personnel 

Transport 

Replenish 

Diagnose 

Perform 

Turnaround 

Maintenance 

Recondition 

Repair 

Manage Parts 

Adjust 

Perform 

General 

Maintenance 

Schedule Personnel 

Manage Personnel See Training 

Decomposition 

See Approval 

Decomposition 

See Approval 

Decomposition 

Schedule 

Maintenance 

Manage Hazardous 

Material 

LEGEND

 Indicates a change from previous RTI Decomposition.

text Indicates a link to another Function Volume.

Manage Logistics 

Return to Service 

Test 

Replace 

Figure 4 Maintenance Functional Decomposition 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 8 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Maintenance Decomposition 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

The results of the CFR reviews, as well as the data collected during previous 

efforts, were used as a starting point for deriving these functions. RTI then 

collected and analyzed several references to further characterize maintenance. 

Previous work presented the first functional decomposition of RLV Maintenance 

Functions. These maintenance functions and sub-functions have been further 

analyzed and refined here in this effort for maintenance. While many functions 

remain the same, there are several new sub-functions and function 

reorganizations. See Appendix C: Traceability of Maintenance Function 

Decomposition for function and sub-function traceability from the previous 

Maintenance Decomposition to the current Maintenance Decomposition as 

reflected in Figure 4. 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 9 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

3.0 General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

The following Guideline Inputs (GIs) were developed to reflect those tasks or 

procedures that are general in nature and apply to RLV Maintenance. 

General Maint GI - 1. RLV Operator Maintenance Program Plan 

Guideline Input 

RLV Operators shall develop a Maintenance Program Plan for each vehicle type. 

Rationale 

To account for the differences in RLV designs, each RLV Operator must provide 

a Maintenance Program Plan that describes the operator’s intent and/or 

assumptions relative to RLV maintenance. This plan will include general 

strategies associated with both unscheduled and scheduled maintenance for the 

RLV vehicle type, and its associated Ground Support Equipment (GSE) and 

facilities. The Maintenance Program Plan is complementary to the RLV 

Operator’s Concept of Operations Document. 

Although the Maintenance Program Plan will be implemented through a 

procedural Maintenance Manual, the Maintenance Program Plan’s value to the 

FAA lies in the additional clarity of purpose it will provide. Specifically, it will 

highlight to the FAA general assumptions/intent that may affect public safety; and 

it will provide the FAA with necessary insight into the following items of interest: 

1. How the RLV maintenance program will ensure general public safety and 

limit/mitigate environmental hazard potentials. 

2. What the differences will be between In-Line, Off-Line, and Depot Level 

Maintenance activities for different configurations of the RLV type. 

3. How the RLV maintenance activities will be conducted at the launch and 

landing sites. 

4. What inter/intra agency (both local and federal) coordination that may be 

required. 

5. The logistical support that will be necessary for maintenance of the RLV 

and its associated GSE/ facilities. 

6. Configuration management program for hardware, software and 

documentation. 

7. Human Error Management Programs3

, that addresses the following: 

a) Who will oversee/administer the program? 

b) How will errors be investigated? 

c) How will investigation results be validated? 

d) How will error data be tracked and analyzed? 

e) How will prevention/intervention strategies be implemented to prevent 

errors from occurring/recurring? 

f) How will results of the program be measured? 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 10 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

General Maint GI - 2. Maintenance Manual 

Guideline Input 

RLV Operators shall develop an FAA-approved vehicle-specific Maintenance 

Manual. 

Rationale 

Since many RLV concepts include ground-breaking/novel technologies, there is 

minimal commonality between current industry maintenance procedures and 

those required for specific RLV maintenance procedures. This lack of 

commonality hinders the development of common technology-specific 

maintenance approval/certification guidelines; therefore, each RLV Operator will 

need to develop a vehicle -specific Maintenance Manual and provide it to 

FAA/AST for approval. 

This manual will provide the maintenance specifications and procedures 

associated with the specific RLV type for all configurations outlined in the 

Maintenance Program Plan. Additionally, the Maintenance Manual will contain 

the nominal and off-nominal maintenance procedures for the FAA-approved RLV 

design. 

Minimally, the following items for conducting general, scheduled and 

unscheduled maintenance should be included in the Maintenance Manual: 

1. List of safety critical RLV and GSE/Facilities sub-systems and their 

maintenance requirements and procedures 

2. Schedule for interval-driven maintenance (i.e. Scheduled Maintenance) 

3. Subsystem/system maintenance procedures 

4. Hazardous material types and handling procedures 

5. Engine/motor refurbishment and reconditioning procedures 

6. Checklists for normal and contingency maintenance procedures 

7. Reporting process to include lessons-learned 

8. Personnel Requirements 

9. Tools/Test Equipment identification, description, and calibration 

requirements. 

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Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

General Maint GI - 3. Maintenance Hazard Analysis and Mitigation 

Planning 

Guideline Input 

An RLV Operator shall perform a hazard analysis and develop appropriate 

mitigation procedures for those maintenance activities that may cause an 

unacceptable risk to the public. 

Rationale 

RLV maintenance activities must be assessed to determine specific 

processes/procedures that require hazard analysis/mitigation. The following is a 

candidate list for hazard analysis: 

1. Chemical or physical (pressure) reactions between hardware elements 

2. Collisions during handling 

3. Exposure to environmental elements such as lightning and/or thermal 

conditions that may cause explosive hazards 

4. Environmental hazards such as hazardous fluid spills 

5. Gas plumes 

Hazard analyses ascertain the potential repercussions for a plausible 

mishap/malfunction. Once the hazard/repercussion is understood, a mitigation 

action must be developed. 

The mitigation action may be the development/modification of maintenance 

procedures that, by default, completely neutralize the hazard (e.g., limiting 

access to hazardous areas). Alternatively, a mitigation action/procedure may only 

reduce the potential for injuries or death due to mishaps/malfunctions to an 

“acceptable” level. 

It is the responsibility of the Launch Operator to identify the hazards that could 

effect public safety and perform the necessary analysis that ensures proper 

mitigation of risk. 

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Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

General Maint GI - 4. Maintenance Emergency Response 

Procedures 

Guideline Input 

A launch operator shall develop emergency response procedures for potential 

maintenance hazard sources. 

Rationale 

The ultimate purpose of the Maintenance Emergency Response part of the 

Emergency Response Plan (called out under the Operations Guidelines) is to 

ensure public safety in the event of a mishap during RLV, GSE, or Facility 

maintenance. Emergency response procedures (ERPs) are necessary to identify 

potential emergencies and the means to control, contain, and remove a hazard. 

ERPs will address handling requirements for hazardous materials, required 

personnel protection clothing/apparatus, and evacuation procedures for affected 

areas. 

Maintenance activities must be assessed to determine appropriate emergency 

response procedures. The ERPs must specifically define the process for 

providing assistance to any injured people and describe the methods used to 

control any hazards associated with a mishap. 

The overall Emergency Response Plan will describe the types of emergency 

support required, equipment to be used, emergency response personnel (their 

duties and qualifications), and any related agreements with any launch site 

operator and state, county, or local government agencies. 

The following are a candidate set of functions that must be addressed in the 

ERP: 

1. Firefighting 

2. Explosive ordnance disposal 

3. Chemical spill response 

4. Medical support 

5. Inadvertent release of radiological, corrosive, toxic, flammable, or 

cryogenic materials in hazardous quantities 

6. Inadvertent activation of hazardous ordnance devices 

7. Inadvertent ignition of flammable material 

8. Inadvertent electrical shock/burns 

9. Inadvertent deployment of appendages used in preparing the vehicle 

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Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

General Maint GI - 5. Maintenance Statement of Compliance 

Guideline Input 

A Maintenance Statement of Compliance shall be submitted by the launch 

Operator to certify that each RLV will be maintained in accordance with the FAAapproved Maintenance Program Plan and Maintenance Manual for that specific 

vehicle design and configuration. 

Rationale 

Since RLV designs are markedly different, new, and novel; there is minimal 

commonality that can lead to technology specific approval guidelines. The 

referenced Maintenance Program Plan and Manual will contain the FAAapproved maintenance procedures and vehicle-unique limitations. The RLV 

Operator must maintain the vehicle in compliance with the Maintenance Program 

Plan and Manual to ensure maintenance is performed in a way that mitigates risk 

to the public. 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 14 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

General Maint GI - 6. Hazardous Substance Discharge 

Guideline Input 

If a discharge of a hazardous substance occurs during maintenance, a 

Hazardous Material Report (HMR) shall be filed with the EPA. 

Rationale 

In addition to the reporting requirements of the HMR found in Sections 171.15 

and 171.16 of Title 49, a discharge of a hazardous substance is subject to EPA 

reporting requirements at 40 CFR 302.6 and may be subject to the reporting 

requirements of the U.S. Coast Guard at 33 CFR 153.203.4 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 15 11/18/2004 
General Maint GI - 7. Nonstandard Maintenance Procedures 

Guideline Input 

If maintenance methods, tools, or techniques to be used are other than what is 

specified in the Maintenance Manual, the RLV Operator shall prepare and submit 

a safety assessment to FAA that demonstrates that the deviation will not pose 

additional risk to public safety. 

Rationale 

Since RLV designs are new and novel, it is expected that maintenance 

procedures will evolve over time. Rather than requiring a complete resubmission 

of the Maintenance Manual, the FAA may approve changes to the Maintenance 

Manual in a structured, configuration-control-like method. 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 16 11/18/2004 

Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 
Maintenance-Volume 3 

General Maint GI - 8. Safety Critical Software Failure Mitigation 

Guideline Input 

Software failure mitigation techniques/methodologies/procedures shall be 

considered as part of the RLV Maintenance Program Plan and Maintenance 

Manual. 

Rationale 

Given the immaturity of the RLV industry, it is likely that many vehicles will be 

flying in an experimental mode for some time. Numerous accidents have 

occurred as a result of unverified software being installed and flown on test 

aircraft. For example, on Feb 7, 2001, an Iberian Airbus crashed in Spain due to 

a flight control software error.5 

Regression testing based on the original system acceptance/approval testing is 

an example of a mitigation method that may be employed after a maintenancerelated software modification is performed. 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 17 11/18/2004 

Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance General Maintenance Guideline Recommendations 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance PerformGeneral Maintenance 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

4.0 Perform General Maintenance 

The following sub-functions were developed to reflect those tasks or procedures 

that are general in nature and apply to the Perform General Maintenance 

activities. Table 1 highlights the general definitions for general maintenance subfunctions. 

Table 1 Perform General Maintenance Definitions 

Manage 

Logistics 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Logistics] 

The Logistics Sub-function is the set of tasks, procedures, and activities to 

ensure the Maintenance Function is properly supplied, manned, and 

scheduled. 

Manage 

Parts 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Manage 

Logistics? Manage Parts] 

The Manage Parts Sub-function is the set of activities 

necessary to order, stock, and maintain proper quality and 

quantities of RLV/GSE/Facilities parts; including the 

required special part ordering and quality checks. 

Approval 

Functional 

Decomposition 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance 

? Manage Logistics? Manage Parts? Approval 

Functional Decomposition] 

The Approval Functional 

Decomposition outlines functions for 

performing approval activities 

associated with equipment, 

procedures, and personnel. See 

Volume 5, Approval, of this document. 

Schedule 

Maintenance 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Manage 

Logistics? Schedule Maintenance] 

The Schedule Maintenance Sub-function is the set of 

tasks and procedures to insert RLV/GSE/Facilities 

General, Unscheduled, Turnaround, Interval-driven, and 

Condition-Based Maintenance activities into the RLV 

Operator’s overall activities schedule. 

Manage 

Personnel 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Manage 

Logistics? Manage Personnel] 

The Manage Personnel Sub-function is the set of tasks 

and procedures to ensure RLV/GSE/Facilities 

maintenance personnel are appropriately identified and 

tasked. This includes allowance for proper crew rest and 

ensuring that the personnel being scheduled are 

adequately trained and approved for the maintenance 

activities to be performed. 

Schedule 

Personnel 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance 

? Manage Logistics? Manage Personnel? 

Schedule Personnel] 

The Schedule Personnel Sub-function 

is the set of tasks and procedures to 

ensure RLV/GSE/Facilities 

maintenance personnel schedules 

reflect the personnel requirements 

associated with the maintenance task 

being scheduled: the personnel 

possess the appropriate skill levels and 

have been allotted the required crew 

rest. 

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Training 

Functional 

Decomposition 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance 

? Manage Logistics? Manage Personnel? 

Training Functional Decomposition] 

The Training Functional Decomposition 

outlines functions for performing 

training of maintenance personnel. See 

Volume 4, Training, of this document. 

Approval 

Functional 

Decomposition 

[Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance 

? Manage Logistics? Manage Personnel? 

Approval Functional Decomposition] 

The Approval Functional 

Decomposition outlines functions for 

performing approval activities 

associated with equipment, 

procedures, and personnel involved in 

maintenance activities. See Volume 5, 

Approval, of this document. 

Inspect [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Inspect] 

The Inspect Sub-function is the set of activities to check, test, or compare 

a system, sub-system, component, or part against established standards 

of operation, wear criteria (such as worn parts), and approved design. 

Adjust [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Adjust] 

The Adjust Sub-function is the set of activities to return the sub-system or 

element to the original operational condition without replacement or 

repairing parts, components, or sub-systems. 

Replace [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Replace] 

The Replace Sub-function is the set of activities to remove and replace a 

part, component, or sub-system with the same, or an approved equivalent, 

item to return the RLV to the original specifications. 

Test [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Test] 

The Test Sub-function is the set of tasks/procedures used to evaluate the 

state of parts, components, or sub-systems to see whether these items 

meet approved operation criteria. 

Return to [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Return to Service] 

Service The Return to Service Sub-function is the critical set of activities 

associated with the turnover from maintenance to operations. (e.g. when 

the RLV is declared flightworthy by maintenance or the GSE is declared 

“operational”). 

Report [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Report] 

The Report Sub-function is the set of procedures to establish a formal 

record or summary of the performed maintenance activity. 

Protect [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Protect Personnel] 

Personnel The Protect Personnel Sub-function includes those procedures and tasks 

necessary to ensure the safety of maintenance personnel. Potential risks 

include physical, chemical, and nuclear hazards. 

Protect [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Protect Vehicle/Elements] 

Vehicle/Elements The Protect Vehicle/Elements Sub-function includes the procedures and 

tasks necessary to ensure RLV/GSE/Facilities are protected from 

unauthorized access, tampering, or damage (e.g., terrorist attacks). 

Transport [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Transport] 

The Transport Sub-function includes the procedures and tasks for the 

movement of the RLV itself and any associated equipment, materials, 

cargo, or maintenance personnel to/from the maintenance activity areas. 

Manage [Maintenance ? Perform General Maintenance ? Manage Hazardous Material] 

Hazardous 

Material 

The Manage Hazardous Material Sub-function includes the procedures 

and tasks necessary for the safe storage, use, and loading/unloading of all 

hazardous material, other than propellants. 

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4.1 General Discussion 

The tasks, procedures, and sub-functions associated with the Perform General 

Maintenance sub-function are further explained in this section. 

The following procedures and sub-functions are required to perform all types of 

maintenance: 

1. Correlate parts, maintenance item, and personnel availability (Manage 

Logistics) 

2. Inspecting the system or component (Inspect) 

3. Performing maintenance adjustment work (Adjust) 

4. Performing maintenance replacement work (Replace) 

5. Testing the RLV/GSE/Facilities on which maintenance actions have 

occurred (Test) 

6. Returning the item (vehicle, GSE or facility) to service (Return to Service) 

7. Reporting maintenance activities, specific problems, and corrective 

actions (Report) 

8. Preventing personnel hazards (Protect Personnel) 

9. Preventing vehicle damage (Protect Vehicle/Elements) 

10. Movement of the vehicle/elements and support equipment (Transport) 

11. Preventing hazardous material mishaps (Manage Hazardous Material) 

Logistics 

Logistics includes the necessary tasks to ensure the availability of parts required 

to perform maintenance on the RLV and its associated GSE/Facilities; that 

maintenance tasks are appropriately scheduled in the RLV Operator’s overall 

activities schedule; and that personnel scheduling meets the safety requirements 

of crew rest while still meeting mission and business requirements. Additionally, 

only personnel that have been trained on the specific RLV type, GSE, and/or 

Facilities will be utilized. Training and approval of these personnel are considered 

in the Training and Approval Volumes of this document; however, correlating the 

skill set of personnel to specific maintenance activities is part of the Logistics 

Sub-function. 

RLV maintenance is assumed to closely parallel aircraft maintenance models 

due to the similarity in business models, anticipated frequency of flights, need for 

reduced turnaround time, and technologies involved. Specific practices for parts 

management will likely be similar to those found in the commercial and military 

aviation community. Additionally, the Space Shuttle may provide lessons learned 

for parts management for a large RLV and RLV program. For example, 

“The Space Shuttle has more than 4,000 replaceable parts, many 

provided by original manufacturers who are no longer in business. 

The NASA Shuttle Logistics Depot (NSLD), located near Kennedy 

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Space Center (KSC), meets this challenge by manufacturing, 

overhauling, repairing and procuring all Shuttle Orbiter Line 

Replacement Units.”6 

The scheduling of the maintenance activities themselves must be part of the 

overall RLV Operator’s daily program schedule to ensure timely corrective action 

in the event of a mishap or potentially hazardous situation and to ensure required 

preventive maintenance activities are performed. 

The Manage Personnel Sub-function is the set of tasks and procedures that 

verify minimum maintenance-crew rest requirements are met and that the 

personnel assigned possess the appropriate skills. It is well known that both the 

aviation and space communities regulate the minimum crew rest required for 

pilots and on-board crewmembers. There is also a need to ensure that RLV 

Aerospace Maintenance Technicians (RAMTs) have adequate rest prior to 

performing safety critical tasks. Additionally, the skill level of the personnel must 

match the maintenance task. Both of these items will affect the specific 

maintenance personnel that will be assigned. 

Inspect 

Inspections will occur for RLV systems before the RLV is flown (pre-flight 

inspections), after the flight (post-flight inspections), and during/after hands-on 

maintenance activities. The pre-flight inspections consist of a set of 

checks/examinations designed to verify flight readiness of the vehicle, including 

closeout of problems identified in previous inspections and/or problem reports, 

and verification that all safety-critical equipment and systems are operational. 

Post-flight inspections consist of a set of checks/tests designed to identify any 

unexpected problems or maintenance/repair items due to incidents during flight 

or due to exposure to conditions such as space environment, vibrations, high 

speed, etc. Post-flight inspection activities include checking, testing, or 

comparing a system, sub-system, component or part against established 

standards of operation, wear criteria (such as worn parts), and deviations from 

design. 

In addition to inspecting the vehicle itself, maintenance technicians will inspect 

GSE and facilities as prescribed by the Maintenance Manual. For example, fluid 

lines in fuel carts and facility safety systems need to be inspected to ensure safe 

operations. 

Adjust 

Adjustments to the RLV’s parts, components, or sub-systems, and GSE/facilities, 

may be necessary in any type of maintenance activity, scheduled or 

unscheduled. Adjustments will return the item to its original operational condition 

without any replacement or repairing, or may be subsequent to a 

replacement/repair task. 

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Replace 

Replacement of a part, component, or sub-system may occur during any type of 

maintenance activity, scheduled or unscheduled. Although a replacement may 

deviate slightly from the original item, it must meet all specifications and 

tolerances of the original or the replacement must go through an approval 

process before being used as a maintenance item. 

Test 

The Test Sub-function is the set of tasks/procedures used to evaluate the state of 

parts, components, or sub-systems to ensure that these items meet approved 

operational criteria. The parts, components, or sub-systems being tested must 

demonstrate full operational capability within the margins specified in the 

Operations Manual and the Maintenance Manual in order to ensure proper 

operation of safety critical items. 

Return to Service 

The Return to Service Sub-function is the set of critical activities associated with 

the turnover from maintenance to operations crew. These activities will determine 

if the vehicle is “flightworthy” and the appropriate documentation of the vehicle’s 

status will be generated. This sub-function is considered the point at which the 

RLV is “handed over” to the Operations Functions. 

Additionally, this sub-function includes activities that will be performed to validate 

that the GSE and/or Facilities being maintained are available for operational use. 

Report 

The aviation domain provides a potential model for problem reporting called the 

Service Difficulty Program. 

“The objective of the Service Difficulty Reporting (SDR) Program is 

to achieve prompt and appropriate correction of conditions 

adversely affecting continued airworthiness of aeronautical 

products fleet wide. The SDR program is an exchange of 

information and a method of communication between the FAA and 

the aviation community concerning in-service problems. A report is 

filed whenever a system, component, or part of an aircraft, 

powerplant, propeller, or appliance fails to function in a normal or 

usual manner. In addition, if a system, component, or part of an 

aircraft, powerplant, propeller, or appliance has a flaw or 

imperfection which impairs, or which may impair its future function, 

it is considered defective and should be reported under the 

program. These reports are known by a variety of names: Service 

Difficulty Reports (SDR), Malfunction and Defect Reports (M and D) 

and Maintenance Difficulty Reports (MDR). The consolidation, 

collation, and analysis of the data and the rapid dissemination of 

trends, problems and alert information to the appropriate segments 

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of the aviation community and FAA effectively and economically 

provides a method to ensure future aviation safety. The FAA 

analyzes SDR data for safety implications and reviews the data to 

identify possible trends that may not be apparent regionally or to 

individual operators. As a result of this review, the FAA may 

disseminate safety information to a particular section of the aviation 

community. The FAA also may adopt new regulations or issue 

airworthiness directives (AD’s) to address a specific problem.”7 

The advantage of this program is that the FAA has immediate access to problem 

data for trending and regulatory analyses. The disadvantage of this approach, 

from an RLV Operator perspective, would be the potential increased overhead 

associated with problem reporting during maintenance management function. 

Some lessons-learned from the Shuttle’s Problem Reporting And Corrective 

Action (PRACA) system include the necessity for trend analysis on problem 

reports/failures/mishaps and “near misses”. Additionally PRACA has highlighted 

the need for an integrated view of logistics activities, (e.g. parts management 

correlated with maintenance activities and problem reporting). 

Protect Personnel 

Ensuring the safety of maintenance personnel during maintenance of the RLV 

starts with the identification of hazardous/potentially-hazardous activities, 

followed by the appropriate procedure development and use of protective 

equipment. Personnel protection includes the maintenance personnel protection 

equipment (e.g., goggles, ear protectors, Self-Contained Atmospheric Protective 

Ensemble (SCAPE) suits), and the execution of procedures designed to mitigate 

risk during maintenance. 

Protect Vehicle/Elements 

The need to ensure the security of the RLV and its flight elements is two-fold. 

First, there is the general need for the RLV Operator to protect its assets. This 

clearly is not a public safety issue. Secondly, space transportation security in 

general is a high priority in the Homeland Security office. Through intelligence 

data, the launch industry (in particular the Space Shuttle) was identified as an Al 

Qaeda target.8

 This information, and the events of attacks on the United States 

that occurred on September 11, 2001, emphasize our nation’s airports and 

launch sites as high-profile targets. 

A five-page Homeland Security Department internal advisory memo 

recommended that aviation security officials increase security beyond existing 

security directives. The Transportation Security Administration issued emergency 

amendments to the directives. Existing directives focused on the passenger side 

of the airport where pre-gate security screening is done. Specifically, the memo 

advised officials to tighten ramp security, where the catering, cleaning, fueling, 

and maintenance of aircraft take place. As one of several additional protective 

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measures the memo recommends, "Secure unattended aircraft to prevent 

unauthorized use".9 

In addition to the concern for “unauthorized use” of an RLV, the “explosive 

potential” of an RLV may be of even greater concern to public safety. Thus, it is 

necessary to ensure only authorized personnel are near the vehicle while it is in 

a maintenance status. 

Transport 

Transport involves the movement of the integrated RLV, individual flight 

elements, cargo, propellants, and all other materials. Transportation is multimodal (i.e. land, sea, or air). The Department Of Transportation (DOT) regulates 

and inspects the movement of hazardous materials along any of these 

transportation routes. For example, the DOT Federal Railroad Administration 

(DOT/FRA) inspects the following: piping, valves, and fittings; 

enclosures/protective housings; pressure relief devices; and safety systems for 

any hazardous material shipments. DOT also regulates proximity and isolation 

measures between chemicals that may react to produce hazardous materials if 

they are transported together. 

Manage Hazardous Material 

Hazardous material is generally defined as a substance or material in a quantity 

or form that may pose an unreasonable risk to health, safety, or property. 14 

CFR Part 401.5 defines hazardous materials as those identified in 49 CFR 

172.101. 

In addition to the general handling of hazardous materials, this sub-function 

includes the removal, remediation, and disposal of hazardous materials, soils, 

debris, waste, etc., using personnel and equipment in such a way that will 

minimize endangerment to health, life, or property. 

For working conditions and protective gear, OSHA guidelines are applicable for 

all handlers of hazardous material; EPA rules will address environmental issues; 

and HAZMAT rules govern transport of these materials. The National Fire 

Protection Association (NFPA) diamond is commonly used to communicate 

general hazard contents. These NFPA diamonds are commonly located inside 

the main entrance of buildings to inform occupants; on the outside of the main 

entrance door to inform emergency response workers; at the perimeter fence 

entrance to inform the general public, and on hazardous products themselves. 

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4.2 Guideline Input Considerations 

The following Guideline Input Considerations (GICs) have been identified for the 

Perform General Maintenance Function: 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 1. Appropriate handling procedures should be 

employed (e.g. electrostatic discharge 

precautions for sensitive electronics work). 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 2. When parts for coolant circulation are replaced, 

ensure that the fabrication of the parts is 

adequate to ensure a leak-proof joint. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 3. Test stand equipment connection and operation 

should be performed in such a way as to not 

cause damage or unsafe conditions to the 

propulsion system or any other vehicle system. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 4. Precision instrumentation should be maintained 

with the use of calibrated instrumentation and 

tools during maintenance. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 5. Any software or hardware tools used to maintain 

avionics, and which have the opportunity to 

introduce errors, should be evaluated for correct 

operation and calibrated where needed. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 6. Flightworthiness verification should include: 

a. Proper functioning of movable or 

“intelligent” structures affecting flight control 

b. Integral TPS component integrity 

c. Plume impingement area inspection 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 7. Maintenance procedures should facilitate the 

collection of data on subsystem/component/part 

performance from one flight to the next. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 8. An RLV Operator’s response to emergency 

conditions should mitigate compromise of public/ 

personnel safety. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 9. Defective part/subsystem maintenance should 

minimize explosive potential. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 10. Any potential chemical or physical (pressure) 

reactions between the RLV/ components/ 

payload/other materials and transport equipment 

should be assessed for potential public safety 

implications. 

Perf Gen Maint GIC - 11. There should be in place a procedure/system to 

ensure tool accountability after maintenance. 

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4.2.1 Inter/Intra Agency Considerations 

The following Perform General Maintenance Function inter/intra agency 

considerations were identified: 

1. The procedures for handling hazardous materials during the Perform 

General Maintenance function should be performed similar to those 

accomplished during Conduct Ground Operations. Handling and 

transportation of hazardous materials are governed by DOT Hazardous 

Material regulations. Similar standards such as those from OSHA and 

DOT should be employed. A key consideration would be to determine if 

propellant residuals could be re-used or recycled to minimize propellantwaste generation. 

2. Venting and disposal of hazardous materials should follow the 

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regulations for disposal of 

hazardous materials. 

3. The North American Emergency Response Guidebook provides guidance 

on handling hazardous materials. It cross-references shipping names, UN 

numbers (United Nations Committee of Experts on the Transport of 

Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System 

of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals) and DOT labels with 

emergency response procedures. It is available from the U.S. Department 

of Transportation, Research and Special Programs Administration. Also, 

the Department of Transportation publishes a Hazardous Materials Table 

in Section 101 of Part 172, Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. 

These references should be reviewed and employed where applicable. 

4. DOT coordination should occur with appropriate rail, air, and roadway 

transportation offices for safe practices and regulations associated with 

the transportation of hazardous materials on public routes. 

5. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) coordination should occur for 

all frequency assignments used in RLV operations, particularly those 

employed in emergencies. 

6. The Department of Defense Explosive Safety Board (ESB) should be 

consulted to provide a source of lessons learned to FAA/AST for 

conducting RLV safety evaluations, storage of propellants, and chemical 

agents.10 

7. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) coordination should be 

required to ensure that adequate fire safety and mitigation procedures are 

in place for launch/takeoff preparations. 

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4.3 Guideline Recommendations 

Perf Gen Maint GI - 1. Configuration Management 

Guideline Input 

The RLV Operator shall develop procedures that follow industry standard 

configuration management practices/procedures for the RLV/GSE/Facilities. 

Rationale 

By employing tight configuration control procedures, the RLV Operator will ensure 

that the RLV and its associated GSE/Facilities are used only in their “approved” 

state. 

If maintenance activities were allowed to change the configuration of 

RLV/GSE/Facilities, the safety analyses used in the design safety process or 

licensing determination could be rendered invalid and the safety factors/measures 

that were integral to approval or determination process may be inadvertently 

compromised. 

Examples of procedures that may be used to monitor configuration status include: 

1. Post maintenance tests to verify flightworthiness of the vehicle must ensure 

no change to the configuration has occurred during maintenance. 

2. Periodic inspection of processing facilities to ensure proper configuration is 

being maintained. In particular, cryogenics, vacuum systems, and thermal 

control systems all have serious potential safety risks if configured or 

assembled incorrectly. 

3. Industry standard software configuration management systems should be 

employed. Software configuration errors have been linked to both aviation 

and space industry incidents. For example, a configuration management 

problem involving a navigation computer was implicated in the Antarctica 

crash of the Air New Zealand plane into Mount Erebus.11 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 2. Minimum Turnaround Inspection List 

Guideline Input 

The RLV Operator shall develop and use a Minimum Turnaround Inspection List 

for use during turnaround maintenance. 

Rationale 

A minimum inspection list will ensure critical subsystems, components, and parts 

will be inspected prior to next flight. The following is a list of candidate major 

component areas for inspection, if applicable to the RLV type: 

1. Wings 

2. Rocket Motors and/or Engines 

3. Flight Compartment/Cabin 

4. Environmental Control & Life Support Systems 

5. Landing Gear 

6. Aft Fuselage/Empennage 

7. Leak checks 

8. Shut-off-valves 

9. Water/contaminant protection components 

10.Pressure and temperature regulators 

11.Anti-skid brake inspections including electrical power/pedal calibration 

integrity related hydraulics 

12.Autonomous landing equipment for proper arming and connectivity with 

other on-board systems (e.g., electrical) following maintenance 

13.Tire wear due to braking. Note: may reduce strength of tire structure 

resulting in rupture 

14.Hydraulic fluid leakage. Note: hydraulic fluid in the hot wheel well area may 

ignite and cause RLV damage, personnel injury and risk to public safety 

15. Thermal Protection System 

16.Avionics 

17.Control Surfaces 

18.Communications Equipment 

Note: Water and other contaminants are the principal cause of failure, wear and 

the improper operation of pneumatic equipment such as: air compressors, air 

filters, separators, dryers and compressed air handling system drop legs.12 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 3. Flight Safety System (FSS) Flight Control 

Testing 

Guideline Input 

Maintenance testing shall verify that the FSS is capable of controlling the RLV (if 

so designed) and is operationally ready. 

Rationale 

If the RLV is designed such that the FSS is capable of controlling the vehicle even 

if the vehicle is not controllable by the flight crew, then testing of this capability 

should occur prior to turnover to operational status to ensure public safety. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 4. Part Replacement Criteria 

Guideline Input 

Replacement parts shall have the exact functional material and structure 

characteristics as the original design. 

Rationale 

When exact part replacement is not possible, the replacement part must only be 

accepted after proper characteristic tests are conducted. The examination of the 

following characteristics must ensure the replacement part to be the same or 

superior to the design material: 

1. Conductivity 

2. Ductility 

3. Thermal expansion 

4. Pressure tolerances 

5. Fracture toug hness 

6. Core perforation 

7. Water absorbency / repellency 

8. Thermal coating or other surface enhancements 

9. Structural properties and load bearing properties if molded structural TPS 

is used 

10.Weight/density properties which will affect vehicle weight calculations 

11.Bonding/chemical reaction issues especially in space conditions 

12.Fatigue life 

13.Vibration 

14.Charged particle tolerances (especially for printed circuit boards and 

complex electronic hardware), 

Changes in technology/materials from part manufacturers shall be monitored by 

the RLV maintainers. Technology or material introduced during parts replacement 

that are not conducive to the space environment may result in unsafe operating 

conditions. If there are deviations from the FAA-approved parts for safety critical 

systems, the RLV Operator must solicit FAA approval prior to installing the new 

part. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 5. Communication of Maintenance 

Status/Tracking 

Guideline Input 

Opened maintenance items, their status and disposition, and their associated 

criticality (e.g. safety critical system) shall be conveyed by the RLV Operator to 

the FAA, maintenance personnel, and flight/ground operations personnel, prior to 

next flight. 

Rationale 

Communication of maintenance status/tracking information to the FAA will 

ensure that during this trend establishment period for RLV programs, 

"unexpected" anomalies are identified and tracked, and system/subsystem 

reliability information will be gathered. 

Communication between maintenance and operations teams will help ensure 

that operator error is tracked and corrected for to be determined maintenance 

items. Additionally, operations personnel may have input that effects trend 

analyses. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 6. Maintenance Procedures Update 

Guideline Input 

Maintenance procedures shall be updated and modified based on trend analysis. 

Rationale 

When trend analysis identifies anomalies that are repeatedly found, maintenance 

procedures must be updated to include checks for them as a standard 

maintenance task. Occurrence of these anomalies may also be critical to the 

continued flightworthiness of the vehicle. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 7. Wiring Inspection Procedures 

Guideline Input 

The RLV Operator shall develop wiring inspection procedures/techniques that 

maximize inspection of all vehicle wiring in a non-destructive manner. 

Rationale 

While not directly indicted as a cause of the Columbia accident, the Columbia 

Accident Investigation Board noted that wiring issues were a significant risk item 

for the Shuttle.13 

Additionally, the TWA Flight 800 (July 1996) and Swissair Flight 111 (September 

1998) accidents led to heightened concerns about the safety of non-structural 

aircraft systems, including wiring. Since these accidents, FAA has issued over 

40 Airworthiness Directives focusing on wiring. 14 

As part of their research, the FAA and industry completed non-intrusive (or 

visual) inspections of wiring in 81 in-service aircraft. Many of the noted 

problems involved improper clamping and routing of wire; cracked and abraded 

insulation; exposed conductors; and problems with previous repairs. 

Additionally, the majority of discrepancies with wire were found in areas of 

frequent maintenance activity.14 

Recognizing the importance of the issue, the White House created a new 

interagency Wire Safety Working Group in the year 2000 to coordinate research 

on the safety of aging wiring in aircraft, Space Shuttles, and nuclear power 

plants.14 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 8. Hazardous Materials Handling During 

Maintenance 

Guideline Input 

The RLV Operator shall develop and use procedures for handling hazardous 

materials that comply with federal, state, and local regulations and laws. 

Rationale 

Hazard protections associated with the operation of GSE and facilities will 

comply with local spaceport or spaceport operator directives and specific Federal 

guidelines such as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 

Department Of Transportation, and Environmental Protection Agency. These 

federal guidelines and industry standards should be specified as compliance 

documents. 

Hazardous materials handling should ensure there is neither generation of 

hazardous waste nor release of air and water pollutants. 

Additionally, new materials and chemicals that are introduced may not be listed 

in any of the traditional standards or guidelines. Since these new materials and 

chemicals may pose a risk to the public and/or generate hazardous waste in the 

form of air and water pollutants, the RLV Operator must show compliance with 

the intent of federal, state, and local laws, standards, and guidelines. 

These procedures will be incorporated into the Maintenance Manual. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 9. Personnel Protection During Hazardous 

Maintenance 

Guideline Input 

The RLV maintenance personnel shall comply with local state, Occupational 

Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Department Of Transportation, and 

Environmental Protection Agency guidelines, and the RLV Operator Maintenance 

Manual during the performance of hazardous operations. 

Rationale 

This requirement is to ensure that maintenance personnel are protected during 

hazardous maintenance activities so as not to have a negative effect on public 

safety in two ways: 

1. Should one of these individuals be incapacitated during a hazardous 

maintenance activity, their ability to perform contingency procedures 

during an accident could be compromised. 

2. Should they become incapacitated during the performance of a safety 

critical procedure, they could cause an accident with public safety 

implications. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 10.Maintain, Test, and Checkout 

Communications Subsystem 

Guideline Input 

Maintainer/technicians shall maintain, test, and checkout the Communications 

Subsystem following any maintenance/repair action. 

Rationale 

Given the importance of the communications subsystem, maintainers must be 

proficient in their tasks to not only diagnose/repair/restore the equipment, but 

also to operationally test the communications subsystem to ensure no problems 

were introduced during maintenance task. 

Maintainers will have the ability to: 

1. Assess the correctness of the communication display data and format 

2. Assess error messages 

3. Perform corrective actions recommended in the manuals as well as on 

the displays 

4. Use transmitters, receivers, and antennae 

5. Perform link analysis 

6. Perform end-to-end testing 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 11.Navigation/Guidance Sensor Calibration 

Guideline Input 

Following any navigation/guidance subsystem maintenance actions, all 

navigation/guidance subsystem sensors shall be recalibrated in accordance with 

the Maintenance Manual. 

Rationale 

Accurate position/velocity/attitude data is imperative to developing correct flight 

control commands. In order to minimize the chance of sensor inaccuracies 

propagating to flight control commands, the sensors must be recalibrated 

whenever any maintenance/repair activities may have directly or indirectly 

affected their alignment. 

Incorrect flight control commands could impact both Air Traffic Management and 

create the potential for object collision (e.g., COLA and COMBO). 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 12.Flight Control Post Maintenance 

Inspection and Testing 

Guideline Input 

Flight Control Subsystems shall undergo a post-maintenance inspection and 

testing following any maintenance on wiring or physical interconnections, to verify 

proper operation. 

Rationale 

Incorrect reconnection of flight control components has been the root cause of 

many commercial and military aircraft crashes. Often such errors have led to 

flight controls acting in an opposite fashion to the original design and opposite of 

what the pilot is expecting. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 13.Wiring Harness Integrity 

Guideline Input 

If string bindings or cable ties are removed during maintenance/repair activities, 

maintenance procedures and inspection checklists shall ensure that such items 

are replaced in accordance with schematic/structural drawings and 

specifications. 

Rationale 

The structural integrity of the wiring harness depends on these bindings/ties. If a 

wiring harness does not provide sufficient support to the wires, their insulation 

may crack/chafe and a short circuit could result. 

This was illustrated in the grounding of the Space Shuttle fleet in 1999, where an 

exposed wire caused a short circuit that took two engine computers off-line.15 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 14.Safety Critical Software Assurance 

Guideline Input 

RLV launch control software and vehicle health and management software shall 

be required to undergo a Software Conformity Inspection after any 

maintenance/repair actions to the software programs. 

Rationale 

Latent software errors have been the source of catastrophic space mission 

failures, and have been similarly indicted in a number of aviation accidents: 

1. On June 4, 1996, the first flight of the European Space Agency's new 

Ariane 5 rocket failed shortly after launching, resulting in an estimated 

uninsured loss of a half billion dollars. It was reportedly due to the lack of 

exception handling of a floating-point error in a conversion from a 64-bit 

integer to a 16-bit signed integer.16 

2. In April of 1999 a software bug caused the failure of a $1.2 billion U.S. 

military satellite launch, the costliest unmanned accident in the history of 

Cape Canaveral launches. 17 

3. On August 5, 1997, a Korean Air jet crashed in Guam. A radar system that 

could have warned the aircraft that it was flying too low was hobbled by a 

software error.18 

Software conformity assessment provides objective evidence that a product 

meets standards of safety.19 Generally, conformity assessments ensure that the 

software, and any modification, is managed under a stringent configuration 

management process. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 15.Tracking and Surveillance System 

Maintenance 

Guideline Input 

Onboard tracking and surveillance capability shall be maintained in accordance 

with an approved Maintenance Manual and the test to Return to Service shall be 

integrated with a Flight Safety Subsystem test. 

Rationale 

Given the safety-critical nature of tracking and surveillance systems and its 

importance in protecting public safety, the system must operate correctly during 

all phases of flight. 

The close connection, between Flight Safety Subsystem (FSS) and the tracking 

and surveillance subsystem, implies that any changes made to tracking and 

surveillance components could affect the FSS. Therefore, an integrated test must 

be performed in order to ensure the FSS is functioning correctly and is 

operationally ready for flight. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 16.Propellant Management Safety 

Guideline Input 

Propellant management shall be conducted so as not to pose a safety risk to the 

public during maintenance activities. 

Rationale 

Propellant subsystem maintenance procedures should take into consideration 

the risk to public safety and include specific risk mitigation steps to be performed 

during the maintena nce activity. An example of procedural mitigation is the 

imposition of serial loading of hypergolic propellants so as to minimize the 

explosive potential due to inadvertent contact. 

Some additional issues that may need to be addressed are: 

1. Propellant contamination avoidance 

2. Valve seating 

3. Cryogenic boil-off 

4. Liquid jet impingement on diffusers 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 17.Inspection of Hydraulics 

Guideline Input 

The RLV hydraulic subsystem shall be inspected during scheduled and 

unscheduled maintenance activities to ensure the integrity of the hydraulic 

subsystem. 

Rationale 

Leaks in the hydraulic subsystem may result in contamination of the surrounding 

area with hydraulic fluid and/or failure of hydraulic components. 

Hydraulic systems are inspected for leakage, worn or damaged tubing, worn or 

damaged hoses, wear of moving parts, security of mounting for all units, and any 

other condition specified by the Maintenance Manual. A complete inspection 

includes considering the age, cure date, stiffness of the hose, and an operational 

check of all subsystems. 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 18.Inspection of Pneumatics Subsystem 

Guideline Input 

The RLV pneumatics subsystem shall be inspected during scheduled and 

unscheduled maintenance activities to ensure the integrity of the pneumatic 

subsystem. 

Rationale 

The proper and successful functioning of the pneumatics subsystem requires that 

the pressure on the fluid remains relatively constant. Any leaks in the subsystem 

will compromise this condition. 

Pneumatic subsystems are inspected for leakage, worn or damaged tubing, worn 

or damaged hoses, wear of moving parts, security of mounting for all units, and 

any other condition specified by the maintenance manual. A complete inspection 

includes considering the age, cure date, stiffness of the hose, and an operational 

check of all subsystems. 

Note: the National Transportation Safety Board has reported pneumatic system 

failures as a factor in an average of two fatal aviation accidents per year over the 

past ten years.20 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 19.Operational Safety of Landing and 

Recovery 

Guideline Input 

If landing gear is used, maintenance procedures shall comply with the 

Maintenance Manual’s specifications for limiting factors during specific test 

techniques. 

Rationale 

Non-destructive testing and inspections of critical use components must be 

employed. For example, detection of debris embedded in tires may require xrays. Cracks in landing gear materials, in many cases, are not perceptible with 

the human eye and can only be detected by rigorous inspection techniques such 

as Eddy Current inspection. (Note: this nondestructive testing technique is only 

applicable to certain materials based on their conductivity and permeability.) 

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Perf Gen Maint GI - 20.Corrosion Control Requirements 

Guideline Input 

Maintenance of any metal-based facilities shall include corrosion control 

measures. 

Rationale 

Corrosion on these facilities will not only impact the structural integrity of the 

facility, it may also cause an explosion due to the interaction of the metal/rust 

with the propellants on-board the RLV. 

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5.0 Perform Unscheduled Maintenance 

The following sub-functions were developed to reflect those tasks or procedures 

that are applicable to RLV Unscheduled Maintenance activities. Table 2 

highlights the general definitions for unscheduled maintenance sub-functions. 

Table 2 Perform Unscheduled Maintenance Definitions 

Diagnose [Maintenance ? Perform Unscheduled Maintenance?Diagnose] 

The Diagnose sub-function is the set of activities that are used to 

analyze the cause or nature of a faulty or anomalous condition. This 

may include the time and resources required to perform the action. 

Repair [Maintenance ? Perform Unscheduled Maintenance?Repair] 

The Repair sub-function is the set of activities to restore the RLV to 

continued flightworthiness-operating state by fixing a system, 

subsystem, component, or part. 

5.1 General Discussion 

The Perform Unscheduled Maintenance consists of the tasks, procedures, and 

sub-functions to correct discrepancies, or problems, that were identified during 

normal operation, scheduled maintenance, other unscheduled maintenance, or 

trend data analyses. The tasks and procedures performed during unscheduled 

maintenance that are common to all types of maintenance are addressed in 

Section 4.0 of this document. Only those sub-functions considered unique to 

Perform Unscheduled Maintenance are presented in this section. 

Sources of unscheduled maintenance are varied and may include problems in 

system/component design, system/component failure or damage. In this subfunction, a system can be either hardware or software associated with the RLV, 

GSE or facilities. 

Diagnose 

After the identification of a problem through inspection or, potentially, an 

automated systems report (e.g. the vehicle health and monitoring subsystem), 

the problem must then be diagnosed to determine its root cause. There are 

various techniques and technologies that are employed in the aviation 

community for the Diagnose Sub-function. For instance, in diagnosing jet engine 

problems, an old technology called ferrography is used to run the aircraft's 

lubricating fluid through a magnetic device to separate out metal shavings and 

other ferrous engine debris. 

Many new techniques and technologies will be developed to meet the challenges 

of diagnosing RLV problems. For instance, one study21 concluded that: 

“New approaches are needed for subsurface inspection; the 

temperature history (maximum temperature reached during reentry) 

is the best warning indicator of potential future damage; and 

improved inspection technology is needed for reinforced carboncarbon components (e.g. nose cone and wing leading edges) that 

are likely to be used on all future vehicles” 

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Repair 

Webster’s dictionary defines repair as “to fix, or to restore”. Therefore, the repair 

of a sub-system, component, or part is always considered unscheduled. Repair 

maintenance activities must return the subsystem, component, or part to the 

original design specifications and tolerances. 

Note: although “alteration” may be considered a repair, it is not treated as a 

“maintenance task” here because of the design impact and would be treated in 

the design approval process highlighted in Figure 1 of this document. 

5.2 Guideline Input Considerations 

The following Guideline Input Considerations (GICs) have been identified for the 

Conduct Unscheduled Maintenance Function: 

Perf Un-Sched Maint GIC - 1. Diagnose should utilize calibrated equipment to 

ensure complete and accurate analysis. 

Perf Un-Sched Maint GIC - 2. The on-board vehicle health monitor/ 

management system should be utilized when 

diagnosing RLV repairs. 

Perf Un-Sched Maint GIC - 3. A logbook for repair and alteration activities 

should be maintained. This log should contain 

specific data on parts used for the repair 

activity. 

5.2.1 Inter/Intra Agency Considerations 

The following Conduct Unscheduled Maintenance Function inter/intra agency 

considerations were identified: 

1. DOT coordination should occur with appropriate rail, air, and roadway 

transportation offices for safe practices and regulations associated with 

the transportation of hazardous materials on public routes. 

2. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) coordination should occur for 

all frequency assignments used in RLV operations, particularly those 

employed in emergencies. 

3. The Department of Defense Explosive Safety Board (ESB) should be 

consulted to provide a source of lessons learned for FAA/AST for 

conducting RLV safety evaluations, storage of propellants, and chemical 

agents.22 

4. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) coordination should be 

required for procedure development to ensure that fire safety and 

mitigation procedures are in place for launch/takeoff preparations. 

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5.3 Guideline Recommendations 

Un-Sched Maint GI - 1. Safing the Vehicle During Diagnosis 

Guideline Input 

During the Diagnose Sub-function, the RLV Aerospace Maintenance Technician 

shall continuously evaluate the safety of the RLV/GSE/Facilities configuration 

based on the problem analysis, and implement additional safing actions as 

appropriate. 

Rationale 

Due to the uncertainties associated with the cause for unscheduled maintenance, 

the problem could cause an unanticipated/unsafe configuration state. 

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Un-Sched Maint GI - 2. Material Compliance 

Guideline Input 

The RLV Aerospace Maintenance Technician shall only use materials that have 

been approved for the RLV/GSE/Facilities under repair. 

Rationale 

In a repair situation, there may be a need to fabricate an item to accomplish the 

repair. A deviation from the approved material for that “part” may compromise the 

integrity of the maintenance item and thereby affect public safety. 

For example, use of inappropriate materials could affect the fatigue properties of 

the item. And, according to National Transportation Safety Board data, 291 

accidents have been associated with fatigue cracking.23 

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Un-Sched Maint GI - 3. Analysis Post- Repair 

Guideline Input 

As part of a repair closeout activity, the RLV Operator shall perform, and provide 

to the FAA, an analysis of the cause and impact of the problem/repair. 

Rationale 

This analysis will include assessing the impact of the problem/repair on the 

operating characteristics and limitations of the RLV, GSE, or Facility. 

The RLV industry and the FAA will use this analysis to assess the effect that the 

problem/repair may have on continued use and/or flightworthiness of specific 

components/parts, and to ensure prompt and appropriate corrective action for 

conditions adversely affecting continued flightworthiness of widely-used RLV 

industry products (e.g. pressure vessel materials). 

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Un-Sched Maint GI - 4. Post Repair Return to Service 

Assessment 

Guideline Input 

The RLV Operator shall analyze the potential impact of a repair maintenance 

activity to operating characteristics and limitations of the RLV/GSE/Facilities, and 

incorporate the results of this analysis into the Return to Service criteria. 

Rationale 

Because of the unanticipated nature of repairs, a repair may directly, or indirectly, 

affect the operation of other subsystems, components or parts. Therefore, in 

preparation for the Return to Service maintenance activity, the RLV Operator 

must assess the potential impact of the repair to other subsystems in order to 

develop the Return to Service criteria. 

This will be critical in verifying general flightworthiness of the vehicle. 

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6.0 Perform Scheduled Maintenance 

The following sub-functions were developed to reflect those tasks or procedures 

that are applicable to RLV Scheduled Maintenance activities. Table 3 highlights 

the general definitions for scheduled maintenance functions. 

Table 3 Perform Scheduled Maintenance Definitions 

Perform [Maintenance ? Perform Scheduled Maintenance ? Perform Turnaround Maintenance] 

Turnaround 

Maintenance 

The Perform Turnaround Maintenance sub-function is the set of 

maintenance sub-functions that are performed between flights in order to 

return the RLV to flightworthiness status. 

Recondition [Maintenance ? Perform Scheduled Maintenance ? Perform 

Turnaround Maintenance ? Recondition] 

The Recondition sub-function consists of the set of tasks 

that are performed to return the RLV to its original 

operating condition, to include software and hardware 

items. 

Replenish [Maintenance ? Perform Scheduled Maintenance ? Perform 

Turnaround Maintenance ? Replenish] 

The Replenish sub-function is the set of tasks and 

procedures to restock, reload, and/or refill expendable 

items on-board the RLV. 

Perform [Maintenance ? Perform Scheduled Maintenance ? Perform Interval-driven Maintenance] 

Interval-driven 

Maintenance 

The Perform Interval-driven Maintenance sub-function consists of the 

performance of all necessary sub-functions, tasks, and procedures for 

maintenance of the RLV/GSE/Facilities that is performed with a particular 

frequency. 

Perform [Maintenance ? Perform Scheduled Maintenance ? Perform Condition-Based Maintenance] 

ConditionBased 

Maintenance 

The Perform Condition-Based Maintenance sub-function consists of all 

necessary sub-functions, tasks, and procedures for RLV Maintenance that 

is scheduled based on the condition of a part, component, or subsystem. 

6.1 General Discussion 

Scheduled maintenance tasks may be based on calendar time, number of flight 

hours, or parametric values associated with the condition of a 

subsystem/component/part or cycle time. Cycle time dependent maintenance 

tasks (e.g. propellant subsystem inspection) are performed during turnaround 

maintenance. Interval-driven maintenance is solely time- based. Some examples 

would be: inspection and checkout of those systems/subsystems that are 

affected whether the vehicle is flying or not (e.g. corrosion control inspection); or 

a replacement based on the number of flight hours logged for a given subsystem, component or part. Condition-based maintenance is a relatively new 

maintenance model that has become more and more attractive as advancements 

in the integrated vehicle health monitoring field have occurred. 

Although the goal of Scheduled Maintenance is to prevent deficiencies, if an 

unexpected anomaly is discovered during a scheduled maintenance task, then 

associated corrective actions will be considered unscheduled maintenance and 

communicated/tracked according to Unscheduled Maintenance Guidelines. 

Generally, reliability-centered scheduled maintenance is recommended; 

however, it requires a relatively deep understanding of the selected subsystem’s 

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failure modes and the consequences of that failure to determine the “schedule”. 

Failure modes are equipment/component-specific failures that result in functional 

failure of a subsystem. Whatever method is used to develop the initial schedule 

outlined in the Maintenance Manual will need to be revised based on trend 

analyses performed following the RLV/GSE/Facility deployment. 

Perform Turnaround Maintenance 

There will be a set of standard maintenance tasks performed during Turnaround 

Maintenance that are based solely on cycle time (e.g. propulsion subsystem 

tasks). 

The first task performed during the Turnaround Maintenance sub-function should 

be a post-flight inspection. This inspection will be performed right after the 

recover operation, and will include a set of checks/tests designed to identify any 

unexpected problems or maintenance/repair items. 

Specifically, the goal is to check, test or compare a system, sub-system, 

component or part against established standards of operation, wear criteria (such 

as worn parts), deviations from design, and damage due to incidents during flight 

or due to exposure to conditions such as space environment, vibrations, high 

speed, etc. Any anomalies and associated corrective actions discovered during 

Turnaround Maintenance will be considered unscheduled maintenance and 

communicated/tracked according to Unscheduled Maintenance Guidelines. 

Perform Interval-driven Maintenance 

Interval-driven Maintenance may be based either on calendar time, number of 

hours used, or cycle time. For example, traditional aviation often uses flight hours 

for scheduling powerplant overhaul activities and landing gear are evaluated 

based on numbers of takeoff/landing (i.e. cycle time). Of note: in a Reliability 

Centered Maintenance (RCM) program the interval-driven maintenance scheme 

will be based on the reliability for the various components of the system or 

subsystem. 

Interval-driven tasks may not be initiated until the initial task/inspection date 

occurs. Once initiated, interval-driven tasks will have a Repeat Interval (RI) 

associated with them. Again, this interval will be based on calendar time, flight 

hours, or cycle time24. 

Perform Condition-Based Maintenance 

Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) is defined as “Maintenance actions based 

on actual condition (objective evidence of need) obtained from in-situ, noninvasive tests, operating and condition measurement.”25 

If so equipped, an RLV’s Integrated Vehicle Health Management/Monitor (IVHM) 

Subsystem will provide information on the part, component, or subsystem’s 

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condition. The IVHM will enable the condition to be assessed, analyzed, and 

diagnosed for insertion into the operations and maintenance schedules. 

CBM is unique from the other maintenance types as follows: 

1. “Operations have now been engaged and integrated into the 

maintenance equation by becoming responsible for recognizing and 

correcting the existence of an abnormal condition or stressor level. 

2. Finding the root cause stressors (parameters outside the design 

envelope) responsible for the off-design condition is now the prime 

directive. 

3. The maintenance task can be preplanned and streamlined to 

eliminate the brushfire urgency and huge parts inventories, and 

minimize the maintenance impact on production.”26 

Availability prediction and analysis is included in determining the ConditionBased Maintenance task schedule. Availability can be estimated for components, 

items, or units but overall spacecraft system or ground system availability 

estimation is based on the combinations and connectivity of the units within the 

system. 

There are three types of availability measures. One is the inherent availability, 

and it is a function of the as-designed reliability and maintainability 

characteristics. Second is the achieved availability and it is a function of the total 

time spent in an operational state versus the total corrective maintenance time 

and the total preventive maintenance time. The third basic measure of availability 

is operational availability and it considers all repair and ancillary support time: 

corrective and preventive maintenance time, administrative delay time, and 

logistic support time. Operational availability is the most all-inclusive and should 

be used when determining the schedule for a subsystem.27 

6.2 Guideline Input Considerations 

The following Guideline Input Considerations (GICs) have been identified for the 

Conduct Scheduled Maintenance Function: 

Perf Sched Maint GIC - 1. Appropriate handling procedures should be 

employed (e.g. electrostatic discharge 

precautions for working on sensitive 

electronics). 

Perf Sched Maint GIC - 2. Maintenance cycles should be adjusted based 

on inspection data (i.e. more frequent 

maintenance for an increased incidence of 

problems found). 

Perf Sched Maint GIC - 3. The interval, as measured by the maintainer, 

may be different from the interval meant by 

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maintenance procedures. It should be clearly 

stated whether the actual flight hours are 

counted or whether calendar time is counted for 

this interval. 

Perf Sched Maint GIC - 4. Maintenance activities should manage general 

OSHA requirements relative to occupational 

safety that may not cover safe practices for new 

materials, chemicals, and technology (safe 

maintenance practices) that affect public safety. 

6.2.1 Inter/Intra Agency Considerations 

The following Conduct Scheduled Maintenance Function inter/intra agency 

considerations were identified: 

1. DOT coordination should occur with appropriate rail, air, and roadway 

transportation offices for safe practices and regulations associated with 

the transportation of hazardous materials on public routes. 

2. Federal Communication Commission (FCC) coordination should occur for 

all frequency assignments used in RLV maintenance procedures, 

particularly those employed in emergencies. 

3. The Department of Defense Explosive Safety Board (ESB) should be 

consulted to provide a source of lessons learned for FAA/AST for 

conducting RLV safety evaluations, storage of propellants, and chemical 

agents.28 

4. National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) coordination should be 

required for procedure development to ensure that fire safety and 

mitigation procedures are in place for maintenance. 

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6.3 Guideline Recommendations 

Sched Maint GI - 1.Turnaround Maintenance - Structural 

Inspection 

Guideline Input 

During Turnaround Maintenance, the RLV operator shall perform a structural 

inspection of any structure that affects the safety critical subsystems delineated in 

the Maintenance Manual. 

Rationale 

The Columbia Accident Investigation Board’s final report29 included the following 

recommendation: Maintenance procedures should (sic shall) be in place that allow 

for a complete structural inspection using non-destructive evaluation techniques. 

The RLV Structure Subsystem will be subjected to stresses and fatigue from a 

variety of sources (e.g., vibration, extreme temperature cycles, repair stresses, 

material fatigue, and micrometeoroid damage). Additionally, cracks, dents, and 

breaks may be the result of inadvertent mishandling during maintenance of the 

vehicle. Such damage may or may not appear significant; however, due to the 

stressful environment of launch/takeoff, space travel, and reentry, minor blows 

may lead to major cracks. 

The types of inspection to detect such cracks will vary depending on the structural 

material. For example, on aluminum structures a visual inspection may be 

sufficient; however, on composite structures non-invasive techniques must be 

used, such as a remote-field eddy current method. Additionally, the RLV owner 

will need to provide damage tolerance data so that a valid inspection plan for each 

principal structural element can be developed to ensure cracking (initiated by 

fatigue, accident, or corrosion) will never propagate to failure prior to detection. In 

particular, damage tolerance to integral fuselage30 and sandwich composite 

materials 31 is an area of on-going research. Due to the nature of these structures, 

damage tolerance analysis is more complex than conventional structures. 

Of note: some aluminum alloys (i.e. Al-Mg-Li and Al-Mg-Sc) used for integral 

fuselage research have exhibited unacceptable critical properties: insufficient 

thermal stability and accelerated fatigue crack propagation.32 

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Sched Maint GI - 2.Turnaround Maintenance - Thermal 

Protection Subsystem Inspections 

Guideline Input 

During Turnaround Maintenance, the RLV Operator shall perform an inspection 

of the Thermal Protection Subsystem (TPS) in accordance with the Maintenance 

Manual. 

Rationale 

During turnaround maintenance inspection of an active TPS, the following items 

should be verified: 

1. Coolant or other materials used are still operationally viable after being 

exposed to extreme conditions (temperature and pressure). 

2. Coolant circulation and ejection systems are fully functional. 

3. Protective surfaces are free of fractures. 

The TPS has to function in an extremely hostile environment. Relatively minor 

issues can be exaggerated in this environment to cause a mishap. Inspections 

need to include identifying any effects of rain erosion, space debris and 

micrometeorites, gaps from thermal effects, deflections of the airframe, material 

changes from extreme temperatures, loosened parts from vibration, melting, 

deformation (especially at leading edges of wings and nose cone), tears, frays 

and breaks in fabrics, and the integrity of bonding materials, gap fillers and 

adhesives. 

Inspections need to take advantage of advanced non-destructive inspection 

technology. Temperature history during reentry from sensors in subsurface may 

be used to target specific areas for more detailed inspection. 

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Sched Maint GI - 3. Environmental Control and Life Support 

System Scheduled Maintenance 

Guideline Input 

The RLV Operator shall perform an inspection of the Environmental Control and 

Life Support Subsystem (ECLSS) during Turnaround Maintenance and following 

any maintenance activity that may affect the ECLSS, in accordance with the 

Maintenance Manual. 

Rationale 

The ECLSS is critical to the ability of the pilot/crew to perform as part of the Flight 

Safety Subsystem. 

Post-flight replenishment, maintenance, repair, or testing of an environmental 

control and life support system should also ensure the primary and backup 

systems are maintained within specifications as part of the Return to Service 

inspection. 

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Sched Maint GI - 4.Propulsion System Repair and Overhaul 

Guideline Input 

Propulsion System repair and overhaul shall return the RLV to flightworthy 

condition per the Maintenance Manual. 

Rationale 

Current propulsion technologies often employ an extremely complex set of 

piping, valves, combustors/igniters, and gimbal actuators to perform engine 

control and combustion. The RLV developer/operator needs a clear and 

complete set of maintenance procedures for ensuring Propulsion Subsystem 

maintenance is done correctly. 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Sched Maint GI - 5.Motor Refurbishment 

Guideline Input 

Motor refurbishment shall return the motor to flightworthy condition in accordance 

with the Maintenance Manual. 

Rationale 

Some RLV concepts will employ solid rocket motors. Motor refurbishment needs 

to be conducted to maintain the design specifications and to ensure reliability. 

While this technology is well known, motor refurbishment poses a potential safety 

risk to the public at the facility of refurbishment as well as a potential risk to the 

public during flight. 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Appendix A: Acronyms/Terminology

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

AAAF Association 

Aéronautique et 

Astronautique de 

France 

A&P Airframe & Powerplant 

A/C Aircraft 

AC Advisory Circular 

AD Airworthiness Directive 

ADIZ Air Defense 

Information Zones 

AETB Alumina Enhanced 

Thermal Barrier 

AFS Aviation Flight 

Standards 

AIAA American Institute of 

Aeronautics and 

Astronautics 

ALARA As Low As Reasonably 

Achievable 

AM Amplitude Modulation 

AMF Astronauts Memorial 

Foundation 

ANPRM Advanced Notice of 

Proposed Rule Making 

ANSI American National 

Standards Institute 

AOA Abort Once Around 

AOG Airplane on Ground 

APU Auxiliary Power Unit 

ARAC Aviation Rulemaking 

Advisory Committee 

ARC Ames Research Center 

ARF Assembly and 

Refurbishment Facility 

ARINC Aeronautical Radio, 

Inc. 

ARP Aerospace 

Recommended 

Practice 

ASEE American Society for 

Engineering Education 

ASICS Application Specific 

Integrated Circuits 

ASME American Society of 

Mechanical Engineers 

ASQ American Society for 

Quality 

AST Office of the Associate 

Administrator for 

Commercial Space 

Transportation 

ASTM American Society for 

Testing and Materials 

ASTWG Advance Spaceport 

Technology Working 

Group 

AWS Aerospace Worthiness 

Standards 

ATA Air Transport 

Association 

ATAC Advanced Technology 

Advisory Committee 

ATC Air Traffic Control 

ATM Air Traffic Management 

ATO Abort to Orbit 

ATOS Air Transport Oversight 

System 

ATSRAC Aging Transport 

Systems Rule Making 

Advisory Committee 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

AVCS Air Vehicle Control 

Station 

BCSP Board of Certified 

Safety Professionals 

BFE Buyer Furnished 

Equipment 

BITE Built In Test Equipment 

BPSK Bi Phase or Binary 

Phase Shift Keying 

CAA Civil Aviation 

Authorities 

CAM Civil Aeronautics 

Manual 

CAR Code of Aviation 

Regulations 

CASA Civil Aviation Safety 

Authority 

CASS Continuous Analysis 

and Surveillance 

CAST Civil Aviation Safety 

Team 

CBM Condition-Based 

Maintenance 

C-Band Frequency range 

between 3.6 and 4.2 

GHz 

CCAFS Cape Canaveral Air 

Force Station 

CDR Critical Design Review 

CEI Contract End Item 

CEO Chief Executive Officer 

CFR Code of Federal 

Regulations 

CIL Critical Items List 

CMR Certification 

Maintenance 

Requirements 

CO2 Carbon Dioxide 

COFR Certificate of Flight 

Readiness 

COLA Conjunction On Launch 

Assessment or 

Collision Avoidance 

COMBO Computation of Miss 

Between Orbits 

COMSTAC Commercial Space 

Transportation 

Advisory Committee 

CONOPS Concept Of Operations 

CONUS Continental United 

States 

CRM Cockpit Resource 

Management 

CRV Crew Return/Rescue 

Vehicle 

CVR Cockpit Voice recorder 

dB Decibel 

DACUM Developing A 

Curriculum 

DARPA Defense Advanced 

Research Projects 

Agency 

DCC Division of Community 

College 

DCN Document Change 

Notice 

DFRC Dryden Flight 

Research Center 

DMS Docket Management 

CINCSPACE Commander In Chief, System

Space Command 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

DNPS Delaware North Park 

Services 

DO Delivery Order 

DoD Department of Defense 

DOF Degrees of Freedom 

DOT Department of 

Transportation 

Ec Casualty Expectation 

EIS Environmental Impact 

Statement 

EFI Enterprise Florida, Inc. 

ELV Expendable Launch 

Vehicle 

EMC Electromagnetic 

Compatibility 

EMI Electromagnetic 

Interference 

EOM End Of Mission 

EPA Environmental 

Protection Agency 

ERP Emergency Response 

Procedure 

ESA European Space 

Agency 

ESD Electrostatic Discharge 

ESMC Eastern Space and 

Missile Center 

ET External Tank 

ETMS Enhanced Traffic 

Management System 

ETOPS Extended Twin 

(engines) Operations 

FAA Federal Aviation 

Administration 

FAR Federal Aviation 

Regulation 

FCC Federal 

Communications 

Commission 

FHA Functional Hazard 

Assessment 

FL Florida 

FM Frequency Modulation 

FMEA Failure Modes and 

Effects Analysis 

FMEA/CIL Failure Modes and 

Effects Analysis/Critical 

Items List 

FMECA Failure Modes, Effects, 

and Criticality Analysis 

FMS Flight Management 

System 

FOCC Flight Operations 

Control Center 

FOQA Flight Operations 

Quality Assurance 

FR Flight Recorder 

FRCS Forward Reaction 

Control System 

FRR Flight Readiness 

Review 

FSDO Flight Standards 

District Office 

FSO Flight Safety Officer 

FSS Flight Safety Systems 

FTA Fault Tree Analysis 

FTD Flight Training Devices 

FTS Flight Termination 

Systems 

FY Fiscal Year 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

G Gravitation 

Acceleration at Sea 

Level 

GLONASS Global Orbiting 

Navigation Satellite 

System 

GNC Guidance, Navigation, 

Control 

GNSS Global Navigation 

Satellite System 

GOR Ground Operations 

Review 

GPS Global Positioning 

System 

GRC Glenn Research 

Center 

GSE Ground Support 

Equipment 

GSO Ground Safety Officer 

GSRP Ground Safety Review 

Panel 

GSS Ground Support 

System 

HAZMAT Hazardous Material 

HBAT Handbook Bulletin for 

Air Transportation 

HCF High Cycle Fatigue 

HDTV High Definition 

Television 

HMI Human-Machine 

Interface 

HMF Hypergolic 

Maintenance Facility 

HMR Hazardous Material 

Report 

HRST Highly Reusable Space 

Transportation 

HTHL Horizontal Take Off 

and Landing 

HTVL Horizontal Take Off 

and Vertical Landing 

HW Hardware 

IASA International Aviation 

Safety Assessment 

ICA Instructions for 

Continued 

Airworthiness 

ICAO International Civil 

Aviation Organization 

ICF Instructions for 

Continued Flightworthiness 

ICHM Integrated Control and 

Health Management 

IEC International 

Electrotechnical 

Commission 

IEEE Institute of Electrical 

and Electronic 

Engineers 

IFR Instrument Flight Rules 

ILL Impact Limit Lines 

ILS Instrument Landing 

System 

IMU Inertial Measurement 

Unit 

ISO International 

Organization for 

Standardization 

ISS International Space 

Station 

ITU International 

Telecommunication 

Union 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

IVHM Integrated Vehicle 

Health Monitoring 

IV&V Independent Validation 

and Verification 

JAA Joint Aviation 

Authorities 

JAR1 Joint Airworthiness 

Regulations 

JAR2 Joint Aviation 

Regulations 

JAR-VLA Joint Aviation 

Regulations-Very Light 

Airplanes 

JROC Joint Requirements 

Oversight Council 

JSC Johnson Space Center 

Klb Kilo Pound 

Klbs Kilo Pounds 

KSC Kennedy Space Center 

Ku-Band Frequency Range from 

1.7 to 12.76 GHz 

LA Los Angeles 

LCC Launch Control 

Complex 

LH2 Liquid Hydrogen 

LOA Letter of Agreement 

LEO Low Earth Orbit 

LLC Limited Liability 

Corporation 

LOX Liquid Oxygen 

LRCS Long-Range 

Communication 

System 

LRU Line Replaceable Units 

MAKS Multi-Purpose 

Aerospace System 

MMEL Master Minimum 

Equipment List 

MEL Minimum Equipment 

List 

MLP Mobile Launcher 

Platform 

MMH Monomethyl Hydrazine 

MNPS Minimum Navigation 

Performance 

Specifications Airspace 

MPP Maintenance Program 

Plan 

MRB Maintenance Review 

Board 

MRM Maintenance Resource 

Management 

MRO Maintenance, and 

Repair, Overhaul 

MSFC Marshall Space Flight 

Center 

MSG Maintenance Steering 

Group 

MSI Maintenance 

Significant Items 

MSL Mean Sea Level 

N/A Not Applicable 

NAI National Aerospace 

Initiative 

NAS National Airspace 

System 

NASA National Aeronautics 

and Space 

Administration 

NASP National Aerospace 

Plane 

NAT North Atlantic 

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Maintenance-Volume 3 

NDE Non Destructive 

Evaluations 

NFPA National Fire Protection 

Association 

NIDA NIDA Corporation 

NORAD North American 

Aerospace Defense 

Command 

NOTAM Notice To Airmen 

NOTMAR Notice To Mariners 

NPRM Notice of Proposed 

Rulemaking 

NSP National Simulator 

Program 

NSLD NASA Shuttle Logistics 

Depot 

NSTS National Space 

Transportation System 

NTSC National Television 

System Committee 

O2 Oxygen 

O&M Operations and 

Maintenance 

O&S Operations and 

Supportability 

OEI One Engine Inactive 

OEM Original Equipment 

Manufacturer 

OJT On-the-Job Training 

OMD Operations and 

Maintenance 

Document 

OMDP Orbiter Maintenance 

Down Period 

OMI Operations and 

Maintenance 

Instructions 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 69

OMRS Operations and 

Maintenance 

Requirements 

Specifications 

Operations and 

Maintenance 

Requirements 

Specifications 

Document 

OMRSD 

OMS Orbital Maneuvering 

System 

Orbital Processing 

Facility 

OPF 

Orbiter Readiness 

Review 

ORR 

Office of Scientific 

Development/Air Force 

OSD/AF 

Occupational Safety 

and Health 

Administration 

OSHA 

OSI Open Systems 

Interconnect 

Pi Probability of Impact 

PAL Phase Alternation Line 

PCM Pulse Code Modulation

PiC Pilot in Command

PLC Programmable Logic 

Controller 

Parts Manufacturer 

Approval 

PMA 

Propellant 

Management Devices 

PMD 

Principle Maintenance 

Inspectors or Preventative 

Maintenance Inspection 

PMI 

PoC Point of Contact 

Problem Reporting and 

Corrective Action 

PRACA 

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Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Appendix A:Acronyms/Terminology 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

PRR Payload Readiness 

Review 

PSI Pounds per Square 

Inch 

PSRP Payload Safety Review 

Panel 

Pt. Part 

PVAT Position, Velocity, 

Attitude, Time 

Q-D Quantity Distance 

QD Quick Disconnects 

QoS Quality of Service 

QPSK Quadrature Phase Shift 

Keying 

RCM Reliability Centered 

Maintenance 

RCS Reaction Control 

System 

RF Radio Frequency 

RLV Reusable Launch 

Vehicle 

RNAV Area Navigation 

RPM Revenue Passenger 

Mile 

RPR Rulemaking Project 

Record 

RPSF Rotation, Processing & 

Surge Facility 

RSO Range Safety Officer 

RSRM Reusable Solid Rocket 

Motor 

RSS Range Safety System 

RTG Radioisotope 

Thermoelectric 

Generator 

RTI Research Triangle 

Institute 

RTLS Return To Launch Site 

RTS Return To Service 

RTV Room Temperature 

Vulcanizing 

RVT Reusable Vehicle Test 

SAE Society of Automotive 

Engineers 

SATMS Space and Air Traffic 

Management System 

SCAPE Self-Contained 

Atmospheric Protective 

Ensemble 

SDP Safety Data Package 

SDR Service Difficulty 

Report 

SFE Supplier Furnished 

Equipment 

SGS Space Gateway 

Support 

SIAT Shuttle Independent 

Assessment Team 

SLF Shuttle Landing Facility 

SLI Space Launch Initiative 

SME1 Shuttle Main Engine 

SME2 Subject Matter Expert 

S/N Stock Number 

SNPRM Supplemental Notice of 

Proposed Rule Making 

SOH State of Health 

SOP Standard Operating 

Procedure 

SPST Space Propulsion 

Synergy Team 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

SRB Solid Rocket Booster 

SRD Systems Requirements 

Document 

SRM Solid Rocket Motor 

SRSO Senior Range Safety 

Officer 

SSA System Safety 

Assessment 

SSB Single Side Band 

SSME Space Shuttle Main 

Engine 

SSP Space Shuttle Program 

SSTO Single Stage To Orbit 

SSV Space Shuttle Vehicle 

STC Space Traffic Control 

STS Space Transportation 

System 

SUA Special Use Airspace 

SUP Suspected Unapproved 

Parts 

SW Software 

TAL Transoceanic Abort 

Landing 

TBD To Be Determined 

TCAS Traffic Alert and 

Collision Avoidance 

System 

TOGA Takeoff/Go -Around 

TOL Transoceanic Landing 

TPS Thermal Protection 

System 

TSA Transportation Security 

Administration 

TSO Technical Standard 

Order 

TSOA Technical Standard 

Order Authorization 

Time Space Position 

Information 

TSPI 

TSTO Two Stage To Orbit

Thrust Termination 

System 

TTS 

TVC Thrust Vector Control

UAV Unmanned Aerial 

Vehicle 

US United States

USAF United States Air Force

USBI United States 

Boosters, Inc. 

USC United States Code

Vehicle Assembly 

Building 

VAB 

Maximum Speed For 

Stability Characteristics 

VFC/MFC 

Demonstrated Flight 

Diving Speed 

VDF/MDF 

VFR Visual Flight Rules 

VHF Very High Frequency 

VHF Omnidirectional 

Range (navigation 

system) 

VOR 

VSP Vision Spaceport 

Program 

VTHL Vertical Take Off and 

Horizontal Landing 

VTVL Vertical Take Off and 

Landing 

WSMC Western Space and 

Missile Center 

WWI World War 1 

Wx Weather 

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Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Appendix B: RLV Guideline Input Suggestion Form 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Appendix B: RLV Guideline Input Suggestion Form

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 73 11/18/2004 
_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Appendix B: RLV Guideline Input Suggestion Form 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

RLV Guideline Input Suggestion Form

Name: ___________________________ Company Name: _________________ 

Address: _________________________________________________________ 

City: _______________ State, Postal Code, Country: ____________________ 

Phone: __________________________ Date: ___________________________ 

Email: __________________________________________________________ 

Document: RLV O&M Guideline Inputs – Vol. 3 – Maintenance 

Sec: ______ Page: ____ Line: _______ 

[ ] Documentation Error (Format, punctuation, spelling) 

[ ] Content Error 

[ ] Enhancement or Refinement 

Rationale (Describe the error or justification for enhancement): 

Proposed change (Attach marked up text or proposed rewrite): 

Please provide any general comments for improvements of this document: 

Return completed form to: 

FAA/AST-100 

RLV O&M 

800 Independence Ave SW RM 331 

Washington DC 20591 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 74 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Appendix C: Traceability of Maintenance Function Decomposition 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Appendix C: Traceability of Maintenance Function 

Decomposition

Figure 5 reflects the Maintenance Functional Decomposition as developed for 

this effort. The following figure, Figure 6, reflects the Maintenance Functional 

Decomposition as developed for a previous tasking effort. The subsequent table, 

Table 4, provides the sub-function level traceability between the two 

decompositions. The current decomposition was developed in preparation of a 

Functional Analysis. 

Maintain 

System 

[RLV, GSE, Facility] 

(Maintenance) 

Perform 

Condition Based 

Maintenance 

Inspect 

Report 

Perform 

Interval Driven 

Maintenance 

Perform 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

Perform 

Scheduled 

Maintenance 

Protect Vehicle/ 

Elements 

Protect Personnel 

Transport 

Replenish 

Diagnose 

Perform 

Turnaround 

Maintenance 

Recondition 

Repair 

Manage Parts 

Adjust 

Perform 

General 

Maintenance 

Schedule Personnel 

Manage Personnel See Training 

Decomposition 

See Approval 

Decomposition 

See Approval 

Decomposition 

Schedule 

Maintenance 

Manage Hazardous 

Material 

LEGEND

 Indicates a change from previous RTI Decomposition.

text Indicates a link to another Function Volume.

Manage Logistics 

Return to Service 

Test 

Replace 

Figure 5 Current Maintenance Functional Decomposition 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 75 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Appendix C: Traceability of Maintenance Function Decomposition 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Diagnose 

Inspect 

Return to Service 

Report 

Maintain 

System 

(Maintenance) Perform 

Turn Around 

Maintenance 

Correct Deficiencies 

Perform 

Post Flight Inspections 

Perform 

Un-Scheduled 

Maintenance 

Repair 

Inspect 

Alter 

Repair 

Perform 

Pre-Flight Inspection 

Perform Perform

Interval Driven 

Maintenance Maintenance

Scheduled 

Diagnose 

Alter

Return to Service

Report

Perform

Part/Subsystem LifeCycle Replacement

Figure 6 Previous Maintenance Functional Decomposition 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 76 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Appendix C: Traceability of Maintenance Function Decomposition 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Table 4 Maintain System Sub-Function Traceability 

Indicates Same from Previous to 

Current 

Indicates Move from Previous to 

Current 

Indicates New Sub-Function Indicates no Previous to Current 

Correlation 

Current Sub-Functions Previous Sub-Functions 

High Level 

Function 

Second Level

 Sub-Function 

Tertiary 

SubFourth Level Sub-unction 

Change High Level 

Function 

Second Level Tertiary 

SubFourth Level 

Change 

Sub-Function 

Function Function SubPerform New Name 

unction 

General 

Maintenance 

Manage 

Logistics 

New 

Manage 

Parts 

New 

See Approval 

Decomposition 

New 

Schedule New 

Maintenance 

Manage 

Personnel 

New 

Schedule New 

Personnel 

See Training New 

Inspect 

Decomposition 

See Approval 

Decomposition 

New 

Moved from 

Perform 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

Test New 

Return to Moved from 

Service Perform 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

Report Moved from 

Perform 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

Perform Perform Same Perform Same 

Unscheduled Unscheduled Unscheduled 

Maintenance Maintenance Maintenance 

Diagnose Same Diagnose Same 

Repair/Adjust New ­ Repair Same 

Combined 2 

DO3 subfunctions: 

Repair and 

Alter 

Alter Changed to 

Adjust 

Perform Same Perform Same 

Scheduled Perform Same Scheduled Perform Same 

Maintenance Turnaround Recondition New Maintenance Turnaround Perform Moved to 

Maintenance Maintenance Post Flight 

Inspections 

General 

Maintenance 

Replenish New Correct Moved to 

Deficiencies General 

Maintenance 

Diagnose Moved to 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Current Sub-Functions Previous Sub-Functions 

High Level Second Level Tertiary Fourth Level Change High Level Second Level Tertiary 

SubFunction 

Fourth 

Level 

Subunction 

Change 

Function Sub-Function SubFunction Sub-unction Function Sub-Function 

Inspect Moved to 

General 

Maintenance 

Repair Moved to 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

Alter Moved to 

Unscheduled 

Maintenance 

Return to Moved to 

Service General 

Maintenance 

Report Moved to 

General 

Maintenance 

Perform Pre- Moved to 

Flight General 

Inspection Maintenance 

Perform Same Perform Same 

Interval-driven Interval-driven 

Maintenance Maintenance 

Perform New Perform Replaced 

Condition- Part/Subsystem 

Based Life-Cycle 

Maintenance Replacement 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 78 11/18/2004 
Reusable Launch Vehicle Operations and Maintenance Endnotes 

Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

Endnotes 

1 White Paper on Commercial Space Transportation Reusable Launch Vehicle 

Operations and Maintenance, FAA-AST, Chuck Larsen, October 1999 

2

 Reusable Launch Vehicles Operations and Maintenance Top-Down Analysis 

Final Technical Report, RTI, September 30, 2002 (RTI Report No. 08087.002) 

3

 FAA Research/Human Factors in Aviation Maintenance and Inspection/ATA 

Specification 113 Maintenance Human Factors Program Guidelines, 1989 - 2002

4

 49 CFR Part 172, Hazardous Materials: Hazardous Substances, Research and 

Special Programs Administration, Department of Transportation

5

 Aviation Safety Network, February 7, 2001, http://aviationsafety.net/database/2001/010207-1.htm

6

 United Space Alliance, http://www.unitedspacealliance.com/about/

7

 Advisory Circular 43-16A, Aviation Maintenance Alerts, FAA, November 2001, 

http://av-info.faa.gov/data/alerts/2001_11.pdf 8

Aviation Week & Space Technology, Intelligence Indicates Shuttle Is Target, 

Craig Covault, June 6, 2002, Intelligence Indicates Shuttle Is Target, Aviation 

Week & Space Technology, Craig Covault, June 6, 2002, 

http://www.aviationnow.com/avnow/news/channel_space.jsp?view=story&id=new 

s/sobl0606.xml

9

Homeland Security Wants Aircraft Security Tightened Over Holidays, World Net 

Daily, November 29, 2003, Homeland Security Wants Aircraft Security 

Tightened Over Holidays, World Net Daily, November 29, 2003, 

http://www.intelmessages.org/Messages/National_Security/wwwboard/messages 

_03/6444.html

10 Department of Defense Explosive Safety Board, General InformationFunctions, http://www.ddesb.pentagon.mil/function.html 

11 http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/8.49.html#subj2 12 Therm-Omega-Tech, Inc, http://www.thermomegatech.com/pg016H.html 

13 Columbia Accident Investigation Board Volume 1, Columbia Accident 

Investigation Board, August 2003 14 Observations on FAA and Industry Efforts to Address Concerns about Aircraft 

Wiring, U.S. Department of Transportation, Alexis M Stefani, October 5, 2000, 

http://www.oig.dot.gov/show_pdf.php?id=35 

15 Shuttle Grounding, AMSAT, Sept 1999, 

http://www.amsat.org/amsat/archive/sarex/199909/msg00011.html

16 The Explosion of the Ariane 5, Douglas N. Arnold, August 23, 2000, 

http://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/disasters/ariane.html

17 Software QA/Test Test Resource Center, 1996-2004, 

http://www.softwareqatest.com/qatfaq1.html#FAQ1_3 18 Software Error Plagued Guam Airport Radar System, CNN Interactive, Jackie 

Shymanski, August 10, 1997, http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/10/guam.crash/ 

19 Software Conformity Assessment, Underwriters Laboratory, Janet Flynt and 

Laura Elan, http://www.ul.com/software/SoftwareConformityAssessment.pdf 

20 The Silent Emergency (Pneumatic System Malfunction), FAA-P-8740-52 

AFS-820 2000, Aviation Safety Program, 2000 

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Guideline Inputs and Technical Evaluation Report 

Maintenance-Volume 3 

http://www.parker.com/ag/nad/pdf/FAA%20Publications/FAA-P-8740-52.pdf 

21 Survey of Nondestructive Methodology for TPS Vehicle Health Monitoring for 

Reusable Launch Vehicles, David L. Huestis, SRI International, 2000, 

http://www-mpl.sri.com/projects/pyu2278.html 22 Department of Defense Explosive Safety Board, General InformationFunctions, http://www.ddesb.pentagon.mil/function.html 

23National Transportation Safety Board, Database of Accident/Incident 

Information, http://www2.ntsb.gov/ntsb/query.asp 

24 A Guide for the Design of Highly Reusable Space Transportation, Space 

Propulsion Synergy Team, NASA/KSC

25 Five to ten year vision for CBM, ATP Fall Meeting – Condition-Based 

Maintenance Workshop”, USA, Atlanta, GA, Mitchell, J. S., 1998 (PowerPoint 

Presentation), http://www.atp.nist.gov/files/3 

26 Prognostics and Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) A Scientific Crystal Ball, 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Don Jarrell, Daniel Sisk, Dr. Leonard 

Bond, http://www.pnl.gov/dsom/publications/36771.pdf 

27 Availability, Prediction and Analysis, Wil Harkins, NASA/JSC, 1994 

28 Department of Defense Explosive Safety Board, General InformationFunctions, http://www.ddesb.pentagon.mil/function.html 29 Columbia Accident Investigation Board Volume 1, Columbia Accident 

Investigation Board, August 2003 

30 Crack Turning Damage Tolerance Approach for Integrally Stiffened Structure, 

19th ICAF Symposium, International Committee on Aeronautical Fatigue; Pettit, 

R.G; Newman, J.C.; Domack, M.S.; Edinburgh, June, 1997, 

http://www.cfg.cornell.edu/projects/CrackTurning/Crack_TurningProj.html

31 Review of Damage Tolerance for Composite Sandwich Airframe Structures, 

Final Report, DOT/FAA/AR-99/49, August 1999, 

http://research.faa.gov/aar/tech/docs/techreport/99-49.pdf 

32 New Aluminum Alloys And Fuselage Structures In Aircraft Design, Gerhard 

Tempus, May 18, 2001, 

http://www.mat.ethz.ch/news_events/archive/materialsday/matday01/pdf/Tempus 

MD.pdf 

RTI/08087/007/1.2-Vol3F 80 11/18/2004