Guidance on Informing Crew and 

Space Flight Participants of Risk 

Version 1.1 

April 4, 2017 

Federal Aviation Administration 

Office of Commercial Space Transportation 

800 Independence Avenue, Room 331 

Washington, DC 20591 
Record of Revisions 

Version Description Date 

1.0 Baseline version of document November 3, 2016 

1.1 Incorporated comments from the Commercial 

Space Transportation Advisory Committee 

(COMSTAC) 

April 4, 2017 

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Table of Contents

A. INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................... 1
 

1. Purpose..................................................................................................................... 1
 

2. Background.............................................................................................................. 1
 

3. Applicability ............................................................................................................ 1
 

B. Crew Requirements .................................................................................................. 2
 

C. Space Flight Participant Requirements .................................................................... 3
 

1. Risk of Launch and Reentry .................................................................................... 3
 

2. Level of Technical Detail......................................................................................... 4
 

3. Non-Certification Statement .................................................................................... 5
 

4. Human Space Flight Safety Record ......................................................................... 5
 

5. Vehicle Safety Record ............................................................................................. 6
 

6. Request for Additional Information about Accidents and Incidents ....................... 8
 

7. Space Flight Participant Oral Questions .................................................................. 8
 

8. Minimum Age of a Space Flight Participant ........................................................... 9
 

9. Electronic Signature ................................................................................................. 9
 

10. Compensation Restrictions .................................................................................... 10
 

11. Documentation ....................................................................................................... 11
 

12. FAA Reporting Requirements ............................................................................... 12
 

D. References.............................................................................................................. 13
 

E. Appendices............................................................................................................. 14
 

Appendix A: Safety Record Criteria............................................................................. 14
 

Appendix B: Example of Crew Documentation ........................................................... 19
 

Appendix C: Example of Space Flight Participant Consent ......................................... 20
 

Appendix D: Example of Safety Record ...................................................................... 22
 

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A. INTRODUCTION 

1. Purpose

Guidance on Informing Crew and Space Flight Participants of Risk details the Office of 

Commercial Space Transportation’s (AST) policy and guidance on informed consent for 

crew and space flight participants. This document informs holders of a license or permit 

under 51 U.S.C. Subtitle V, chapter 509 (“operators”), as well as applicants and 

prospective applicants for such licenses and permits, on an acceptable means of 

complying with the commercial space informed consent laws, including the Commercial 

Space Launch Amendments Act of 2004, and its implementing regulations, namely, 14 

CFR § 460.9 and § 460.45. It also compiles relevant legal interpretations and preamble to 

reduce the research burden associated with compliance. 

2. Background

Section 50905 of Title 51 of the United States Code and part 460 of Title 14 of the Code 

of Federal Regulations require an informed consent regime for commercial human space 

flight. Section 460.9 requires an operator to notify in writing any individual serving as 

crew that the United States Government has not certified any launch or reentry vehicle as 

safe for carrying flight crew or space flight participants (“non-certification statement”). 

Section 460.45 requires an operator to provide space flight participants with the same 

non-certification statement given to crewmembers as well as notify space flight 

participants of the hazards and risks of the launch or reentry in which they wish to 

participate. 

All italicized information in this document is a direct quote from the Commercial Space 

Launch Amendments Act of 2004 (Statute), regulations, or preamble to the part 460 final 

rule. Additionally, this guidance incorporates the definitions found in 14 CFR § 401.5. 

3. Applicability

§ 460.9 An operator must. . . 

§ 460.45 . . . an operator must satisfy the requirements of this section 

The informed consent requirements in § 460.9 and § 460.45 apply only to operators who 

have a human on board a vehicle. An operator is defined by § 401.5 as “a holder of a 

license or permit under 51 U.S.C. Subtitle V, chapter 509;” therefore these requirements 

apply only after a license or permit has been issued. However, applicants may use this 

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guidance to gain insight into the regulatory and statutory requirements with which they 

must comply once they receive a license or permit. 

B. Crew Requirements 

§ 460.9 Informing crew of risk. An operator must inform in writing any individual 

serving as crew that the United States Government has not certified the launch 

vehicle and any reentry vehicle as safe for carrying flight crew or space flight 

participants. An operator must provide this information – 

(a) Before entering into any contract or other arrangement to employ that 

individual: or 

(b) For any crew member employed as of December 23, 2004, as early as 

possible and prior to any launch in which that individual will participate 

as crew. 

To comply with the regulatory requirements of § 460.9 an operator must inform each 

crew member in writing of the following: 

“The United States Government has not certified the launch vehicle and any 

reentry vehicle as safe for carrying flight crew or space flight participants.” 

A launch or reentry operator must provide this statement to the crewmember before 

entering into any contract or other arrangement to employ that individual. If any 

crewmember is employed prior to the company being issued a license, this statement 

must be provided to the crewmember as early as possible and prior to any launch. 

Although Congress has charged the FAA with certificating aircraft, it has not provided 

the agency the authority to certificate launch or reentry vehicles; Congress has authorized 

AST to issue licenses or permits for the operation of launch and reentry vehicles. License 

and permit holders must be capable of launching (and reentering) without jeopardizing 

public health and safety and the safety of property. The non-certification statement 

informs the crew that the FAA’s oversight responsibilities related to the licensing or 

permitting process are intended to protect the public and do not extend to the safety of 

crew or space flight participants. In addition to providing the non-certification statement, 

operators are encouraged to explain that the statement means the U.S. government does 

not ensure the safety of flight crew, government astronauts, or space flight participants 

(individually and collectively, “occupant”). 

During pre-application consultation, the FAA will educate applicants about the informed 

consent regulations for the crew. The FAA recommends that the documentation used to 

verify compliance include the crew member signature block and the date signed. 

Appendix B provides an example of an acceptable consent format covering the minimum 

information required to comply with § 460.9. 

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C. Space Flight Participant Requirements 

An operator must inform each space flight participant of the risks of launch and reentry to 

comply with § 460.45. The regulations are silent about what language an operator must 

use in their discussions and documentation, but whatever language is used, the space 

flight participant must attest they understand the risks. Appendix C provides an example 

of an acceptable format covering the minimum information required to comply with 

§ 460.45. The following offers guidance regarding information the operator must provide 

to space flight participants, including the risk of launch and reentry, level of technical 

detail, non-certification statement, human space flight safety record, vehicle safety 

record, request for additional information about accidents and incidents, oral questions, 

minimum age of a space flight participant, electronic signatures, compensation 

restrictions, and documentation. FAA reporting requirements are explained for operator 

awareness. 

1. Risk of Launch and Reentry

§ 460.45 (a) Before receiving compensation or making an agreement to fly a 

space flight participant, an operator must satisfy the requirements of this section. 

An operator must inform each space flight participant in writing about the risks of 

the launch and reentry, including the safety record of the launch or reentry 

vehicle type. An operator must present this information in a manner that can be 

readily understood by a space flight participant with no specialized education or 

training, and must disclose in writing— 

(1) For each mission, each known hazard and risk that could result in a serious 

injury, death, disability, or total or partial loss of physical and mental function; 

(2) That there are hazards that are not known; and 

(3) That participation in space flight may result in death, serious injury, or total 

or partial loss of physical or mental function. 

An operator must inform space flight participants in writing about the risks of the launch 

and reentry, including known hazards and the potential for unknown hazards. The 

operator must identify the risks and hazards that could result in serious injury, death, 

disability, or total or partial loss of physical and mental function to the space flight 

participant and may do so with a hazard analysis. Section C.2 (Level of Technical Detail) 

provides guidance on the level of detail that would satisfy § 460.45. 

Additionally, neither the Statute nor part 460 defines the term “vehicle type.” In this 

policy, the term ‘vehicle type’ means vehicles similar in design and structure as licensed 

or permitted by the FAA. For instance, SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo are different 

vehicle types, as are the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules. The Shuttle vehicles are 

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considered the same vehicle type. Safety Record Criteria #7 in Appendix A discusses the 

use of “vehicle type” in the vehicle safety record. In this document, the terms “safety 

record of the launch or reentry vehicle type” and “vehicle safety record” are 

interchangeable. 

Rationale: The preamble to part 460 [1] states that because § 460.45(a)(1) “requires that 

an operator inform each space flight participant of the known hazards and risks that 

could result in a serious injury, death, or disability, the FAA anticipates that a hazard 

analysis focusing on keeping the space flight participant alive will be conducted by the 

operator to identify these hazards.” 

2. Level of Technical Detail

In carrying out § 460.45, an operator must present technical information in a manner that 

ensures the space flight participants are informed of the risks of the launch or reentry and 

that those risks can be readily understood with no specialized education or training. The 

operator is not required to provide information that would violate export control 

regulations or disclose proprietary information. The operator is only required to describe 

hazards, risks, and technical data at a general system level. For example, if a hazard 

exists in the turbo pump, the operator may state only that the hazard exists in the 

propulsion system. The risks associated with the stated hazard may be described 

generically as catastrophic (see Appendix A, #14). The operator may provide additional 

information at a more detailed level. 

Rationale: As described in preamble [1] of the human space flight regulations, 

information provided at the general system level satisfies the intent of the regulation to 

“ensure individuals on board are aware of the risks associated with a launch or 

reentry.” During the Human Space Flight Rulemaking process [1], the FAA received 

public comment that a detailed disclosure would violate export control regulations and 

cause the release of proprietary information. In the preamble [1], the FAA agreed with 

the public comment and stated that it “will require only a general system description. An 

operator only needs to disclose, for example, that a propulsion system exploded, not the 

details of how the explosion occurred.” Furthermore, detailed descriptions and questions 

about the vehicle might conflict with the requirement of § 460.45(a) which requires the 

information to “be readily understood by the space flight participant with no specialized 

education or training.” An operator may choose to provide additional information to 

ensure the space flight participants understand the risks. 

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3. Non‐Certification Statement

§ 460.45(b) An operator must inform each space flight participant that the United 

States Government has not certified the launch vehicle and any reentry vehicle as 

safe for carrying crew or space flight participants. 

To comply with § 460.45(b) an operator must inform each space flight participant in 

writing of the following: 

“The United States Government has not certified the launch vehicle and any 

reentry vehicle as safe for carrying flight crew or space flight participants.” 

Rationale: As described in Section B (Crew Requirements), this non-certification 

statement explains to the space flight participant that the FAA’s licensing and permitting 

requirements are not intended to ensure occupant safety. The FAA is currently prohibited 

from regulating the safety of occupants, except in response to specific situations that 

resulted in occupant casualties or posed a high risk of causing casualties. Additionally, 

although Congress has charged the FAA with certificating aircraft, it has not provided the 

agency the authority to certificate launch or reentry vehicles. Accordingly, this provision 

cautions space flight participants not to expect the same level of safety from space travel 

as from air travel. As explained in Section C.11 (Documentation), under section 

460.45(a), an operator must provide this non-certification statement in writing. 

4. Human Space Flight Safety Record

§ 460.45(c) An operator must inform each space flight participant of the safety 

record of all launch or reentry vehicles that have carried one or more persons on 

board, including both U.S. government and private sector vehicles. This 

information must include— 

(1) The total number of people who have been on a suborbital or orbital 

space flight and the total number of people who have died or been 

seriously injured on these flights; and 

(2) The total number of launches and reentries conducted with people on 

board and the number of catastrophic failures of those launches and 

reentries. 

Section 460.45(c) requires an operator to provide the safety record of all launch and 

reentry vehicles that have carried humans on a suborbital or orbital space flight. The FAA 

maintains on its website the information referenced in § 460.45(c)(1) and (2) that an 

operator may use, but the operator is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of its data 

provided to the space flight participant. The FAA’s website will contain information for 

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both U.S. government and private sector1 vehicles, categorized into orbital and suborbital 

flights (see Appendix D). The website will also document the criteria (see Appendix A) 

used to derive the data. 

The FAA recommends that an operator provides updated information proximate and prior 

to launch if there have been material changes to the safety record since the space flight 

participant provided written informed consent. 

Rationale: The FAA believes it will have the most comprehensive human space flight 

safety record data and will share that data with the operators to aid in compliance and 

consistency. The preamble to part 460 [1] supports this policy and also gives notice to 

industry of its responsibility for the accuracy of the data: “Although a database, whether 

developed by the FAA or commercially, may eventually be used by an operator to help 

fulfill the requirements of § 460.45, ultimately it is the responsibility of the launch vehicle 

operator to inform each space flight participant of that safety record." 

Events may unfold or new information discovered such that the risk may be higher than 

when the space flight participant originally gave consent. Providing an updated safety 

record proximate and prior to launch will help ensure that space flight participants are 

aware of the most current risk. 

5. Vehicle Safety Record

§ 460.45(d) An operator must describe the safety record of its vehicle to each 

space flight participant. The operator's safety record must cover launch and 

reentry accidents and human space flight incidents that occurred during and after 

vehicle verification performed in accordance with §460.17, and include— 

(1) The number of vehicle flights; 

(2) The number of accidents and human space flight incidents as defined 

by section 401.5; and 

(3) Whether any corrective actions were taken to resolve these accidents 

and human space flight incidents. 

The operator must describe its vehicle safety record to the space flight participant in 

accordance with § 460.45(d). An operator may follow the safety record criteria 

documented in Appendix A and apply it to their complete vehicle history to produce an 

acceptable vehicle safety record. An acceptable vehicle history would include both of the 

following (see Appendix D for an example): 

a.	 Operator’s vehicle history (fleet history for the vehicle type) in which the 

space flight participant will launch or reenter, including both government and 

1

 “Private sector” is the term used in the regulations. It is used synonymously with “commercial” for the 

purposes of this policy. 

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commercial launches or reentries. The vehicle history will include, at a 

minimum, the number of vehicle flights and the number of accidents and 

human space flight incidents. 

b.	 Whether any corrective actions were taken to resolve any of the accidents or 

human space flight incidents. 

The FAA will maintain on its website the safety record (flights, accidents and human 

space flight incidents) of each vehicle type across all operators (see appendix D for an 

example). 

Per § 460.45(d)(3), if asked about corrective actions taken after an accident or incident, 

the operator needs to provide only the nature of its corrective action (e.g. that the turbo 

pump was redesigned, not that there was a material change in the impeller blade). Just as 

in the human safety record, after the space flight participant provides consent, the FAA 

recommends that the operator update the space flight participant of material changes in 

the risk or safety records before flight. 

With regard to vehicle verification, verification flights are identified by the operator in its 

license or permit application to satisfy § 460.17 verification program requirements. The 

operator’s verification program demonstrates the integrated performance of the vehicle's 

hardware and any software in an operational flight environment before allowing space 

flight participants on board during a flight. The FAA does not require an operator to 

include developmental testing in the vehicle safety record if it occurs prior to the vehicle 

verification. If the operator removes the vehicle from verification testing or operational 

flights for additional development testing, those tests are not required to be included in 

the vehicle safety record, but any change must undergo a subsequent verification 

program. Also called out in § 460.17 is the requirement that verification must include 

flight testing. The FAA will review and approve the verification flights identified in the 

operator’s verification program on a case-by-case basis. The operator must conduct all 

envelope expansion flights and at least one flight in the full mission profile before flying 

space flight participants. These flights can be one and the same. 

Rationale: A vehicle safety record that includes the operator’s fleet history of a specific 

vehicle type provides the space flight participant with an understanding of the entire 

vehicle safety record and associated risks. Providing the safety record meets the intent of 

§ 460.45(a) to “inform each space flight participant in writing about the risks of the 

launch and reentry, including the safety record of the launch or reentry vehicle type.” 

Utilizing the FAA safety record criteria when calculating the vehicle safety record will 

result in consistent reporting for all operators. There may be other acceptable methods of 

calculating the vehicle safety record. The same rationale for providing updated vehicle 

safety record information is discussed in Section C.4 (Human Space Flight Safety 

Record). 

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With regard to describing the corrective actions taken after an accident or incident, the 

FAA received public comment from industry with concerns that “describing corrective 

actions could require the disclosure of proprietary data and company secrets.” The FAA 

agreed with the concern and in the preamble [1] stated that the FAA “will not, as 

originally proposed, require an operator to also describe what corrective actions were 

taken.” The preamble further clarified the operator only needs to describe accidents and 

incidents “...if a space flight participant asks and then only at the system level.” It is 

acceptable if the operator provides information beyond the general systems level as long 

as it does not violate export control regulations. 

6. Request for Additional Information about Accidents and
 

Incidents
 

§ 460.45(e) An operator must inform a space flight participant that he or she may 

request additional information regarding any accidents and human space flight 

incidents reported. 

An operator must inform space flight participants that they may request additional 

information about any accident or human space flight incident as disclosed in compliance 

with § 460.45(d). If asked, the operator may address failures at a general system level. 

The preamble [1] states “The FAA expects space flight participants to come from all 

walks of life, with varying degrees of technical expertise and understanding. Congress 

requires that a space flight participant be informed of the risks, not that he or she acquire 

an understanding of basic engineering principles in order to understand that risk.” The 

operator may provide additional information, as necessary, if it helps to explain the risk. 

Rationale: By answering questions raised by space flight participants about accidents or 

human space flight incidents, the operator provides space flight participants with an 

opportunity to better understand the risks of space flight. Operators are not expected to 

provide failure summaries of another operator’s vehicles due to a potential lack of insight 

into those failures. 

7. Space Flight Participant Oral Questions

§ 460.45(f) Before flight, an operator must provide each space flight participant 

an opportunity to ask questions orally to acquire a better understanding of the 

hazards and risks of the mission, and each space flight participant must then 

provide consent in writing to participate in a launch or reentry. The consent 

must— 

(1) Identify the specific launch vehicle the consent covers; 

(2) State that the space flight participant understands the risk, and his or her 

presence on board the launch vehicle is voluntary; and 

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(3) Be signed and dated by the space flight participant. 

Prior to space flight participants giving written consent, an operator must provide an 

opportunity for the space flight participants to ask oral questions to acquire a better 

understanding of the hazards and risks of the mission. The discussion does not have to 

occur if the space flight participants decline the opportunity to ask questions. The 

questions may be in-person or remote (e.g. phone, video chat, etc.). If asked, the operator 

may address questions at a general system level. The operator may provide additional 

information, as necessary, if it helps to explain the risk. While there is no requirement to 

document the nature of the questions asked, operators are encouraged to incorporate that 

information into their informed consent presentations to enhance risk information 

provided to space flight participants. 

Rationale: Under § 460.45(f), the opportunity to ask questions must take place before 

flight and before the space flight participant provides written consent. As described in the 

preamble [1], “The FAA believes that an opportunity to ask questions allows a space 

flight participant a chance to get clarification on any information that may be confusing 

or unclear... In addition to receiving informed consent in writing from a space flight 

participant, this requirement serves as another ’cognizance test’ or affirmation that the 

space flight participant understands what he or she is getting into before embarking on a 

mission. An operator must provide an opportunity for an oral discussion; the discussion 

does not have to occur if the space flight participant declines it.” To address export 

control regulation concerns and propriety information disclosure, operators may answer 

the questions “at the system level.” 

8. Minimum Age of a Space Flight Participant

§ 460.45(f) (3) Be signed and dated by the space flight participant. 

The FAA recommends that a space flight participant be at least 18 years old to participate 

in a launch or reentry, even if the participant has parental consent. 

Rationale: Due to the risks involved with spaceflight, the FAA recommends that a space 

flight participant be at least 18 years old to participate in a launch or reentry, even if the 

participant has parental consent. 

9. Electronic Signature

§ 460.45(f) (3) Be signed and dated by the space flight participant 

For the purpose of documenting informed consent, electronic formats, including digital 

signatures or scanned copies of signatures on paper, are acceptable to the FAA. 

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Rationale: Industry inquired if electronic signatures are acceptable; the FAA responded 

that they are acceptable, as documented in an AGC legal interpretation memorandum to 

AST [2] “The regulatory text of § 460.45(f) does not state whether the signed writing it 

requires must be expressed in a paper or electronic format...Accordingly, we conclude 

that the signed writing required by §460.45(f) may be made in either of these formats.” 

10. Compensation Restrictions

§ 460.45(a) Before receiving compensation or making an agreement to fly a space 

flight participant, an operator must satisfy the requirements of this section. 

An operator must obtain the space flight participant’s informed consent before receiving 

compensation or making an agreement to fly. Compensation for participating in a launch 

or reentry is not defined in regulation or statute. The FAA does not consider refundable 

deposits for a future space flight to be compensation or an agreement to fly. An operator 

may also accept compensation to screen the space flight participant for eligibility before 

proceeding to make an agreement to fly. Operators are encouraged to explicitly represent 

when compensation is accepted or an agreement to fly is made for participation in a 

launch or reentry. 

Although these regulations do not apply to an applicant, the applicant must become 

compliant upon issuance of its license or permit. During pre-application consultation, the 

FAA will use this guidance to help applicants understand the regulatory and statutory 

requirements with which they must comply once they receive a license or permit. 

Rationale: Satisfying the requirements of § 460.45 ensures that the space flight 

participant understands the hazards and risks of launch or reentry before committing to 

the flight. Scenarios exist where an exchange of money may not constitute compensation. 

For instance, initial monies may be refundable or used as compensation for medical 

screening, training, and other space flight-related experiences. As discussed in the 

applicability section above, the regulations only apply to licensees or permittees; 

therefore, the compensation requirements apply once the FAA grants a license. In the 

case of a non-paying space flight participant, once the FAA grants a license or permit 

only “the agreement to fly” component of §460.45(a) requires the operator to follow the 

informed consent regulations. 

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11. Documentation		

Operators may provide information required to be in writing in either paper or electronic 

format. Appendices C and D provide examples of acceptable forms for providing the 

information required to by § 460.45. Information that must be provided in writing 

includes: 

 § 460.45(a) Risks of the launch and reentry 

 § 460.45(a) Safety record of the launch or reentry vehicle type 

 § 460.45(a)(1) Each known hazard and risk that could result in a serious 

injury, death, disability, or total or partial loss of physical 

and mental function 

 § 460.45(a)(2) That there are hazards that are not known 

 § 460.45(a)(3) That participation in space flight may result in death, 

serious injury, or total or partial loss of physical or mental 

function 

 § 460.45(b) Non-certification statement 

 § 460.45(c) Description of human space flight safety record 

 § 460.45(c)(1) Total number of people who have died or been seriously 

injured 

 § 460.45(c)(2) Total number of launches/reentries and catastrophic failures 

 § 460.45(d) Description of vehicle safety record 

 § 460.45(d)(1) The number of vehicle flights 

 § 460.45(d)(2) The number of accidents and human space flight incidents 

 § 460.45(d)(3) Whether any corrective actions were taken 

 § 460.45(f) Consent (by the space flight participant) (1) Identifies the 

specific launch vehicle that the consent covers; (2) States 

that the space flight participant understands the risk, and his 

or her presence on board the launch vehicle is voluntary; 

and (3) Is signed and dated by the space flight participant. 

Although an operator is not required to document that it notified the space flight 

participant that he or she may request additional information regarding any accidents and 

human space flight incidents reported (§ 460.45(e)) or that it provided the space flight 

participant with an opportunity to ask questions orally to acquire a better understanding 

of the hazards and risks of the mission (§ 460.45(f)), doing so will simplify 

demonstration of compliance. 

In accordance with § 417.15, § 431.77, or § 437.87, informed consent records are 

required to be retained until the latest of either (1) the completion of licensed activities or, 

(2) if a launch or reentry accident or incident occurs, the completion of any Federal 

investigation and the FAA advises the licensee that there are no further requirements to 

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retain the records. Per § 405.1 (Monitoring of licensed, permitted, and other activities) 

Federal officials may choose to observe oral briefings, as these discussions are not 

required to be documented and retained. 

An operator’s written disclosures do not have to be submitted to the FAA. Informed 

consent documentation is a post-licensing requirement and not part of an application. 

12. FAA Reporting Requirements

51 U.S.C. §50905(b)(5)(A) requires “the Secretary has informed the space flight 

participant in writing of any relevant information related to risk or probable loss 

during each phase of flight gathered by the Secretary in making the determination 

required by section 50914(a)(2) and (c); 

While not an operator responsibility, operators should be aware Congress has directed the 

FAA by statute to inform space flight participants in writing of any relevant information 

related to risk or probable loss when making the Maximum Probable Loss (MPL) 

determination (section 50914(a)(2) and (c)). 

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D. References 

[1] Human Space Flight Requirements for Crew and Space Flight Participants, Final 

Rule, 71 FR 75616 (Dec. 15, 2006) (“Human Space Flight Rule”). 

[2] Legal Interpretation, Memorandum to Glenn Rizner from Mark W. Bury, Assistant 

Chief Counsel for International Law, Legislation, and Regulations, AGC-200, June 10, 

2014. 

[3] Recommended Practices For Human Space Flight Occupant Safety, Version 1.0 

August 27, 2014, Federal Aviation Administration. 

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E. Appendices 

Appendix A: Safety Record Criteria

The FAA will use the safety record criteria listed below when developing the human 

space flight safety record. An operator following these safety record criteria when 

developing its vehicle safety record will produce an acceptable account. An operator is 

not required to use these provided safety record criteria; the operator has the option to 

develop comparable safety record criteria. Safety inspections may include verification of 

the consistent use of safety record criteria (or operator developed criteria) in deriving the 

safety records. 

1.	 The human space flight safety record only includes launch and reentry vehicle 

flights during which a human was on board. The vehicle safety record includes 

both manned and unmanned flights of launch and reentry vehicles designed to 

carry humans. 

Rationale: While the human space flight safety record requirement, § 460.45(c), 

specifies counting only human-occupied launch and reentry vehicles, the vehiclespecific requirement in § 460.45(d) does not contain this restriction. The vehiclespecific information, whether manned or not, is important to the space flight 

participant to fully understand the risks and hazards. 

2.	 Licensed or permitted launches and reentries, as well as launches and reentries 

conducted by and for the U.S. government, count in the human space flight safety 

record and vehicle safety record. 

Rationale: This criterion addresses the need to present only data that is relevant to 

the space flight participants. Non-licensed activities, such as glide flights under an 

airworthiness certificate, will not be counted because of the subjective nature in 

determining applicability. A safety record that accurately conveys the risks of 

launch and reentry should consist of all licensed or permitted activities and 

government launches and reentries that “would have been” licensed or permitted, 

had they been conducted by the private sector. 

3.	 Manned U.S. Government launches to space or reentries from space are counted 

in the human space flight safety record. 

Rationale: This criterion provides guidance on how the FAA will track U.S. 

government-vehicle operations in the human space flight safety record, even 

though operations conducted by and for the U.S. Government are not licensed or 

permitted by the FAA. This criterion includes manned flights intended for space, 

including but not limited to, the X-15, Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, and Space 

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Shuttle programs, but will exclude flights not intended for space, such as the lunar 

lander test program and aircraft with rocket-assisted capabilities. 

4.	 Foreign launches and reentries (those not FAA licensed or not conducted by the 

U.S. government) will not be counted in either safety record, unless accurate 

launch and re-entry information is available. For example, if a bilateral agreement 

to share safety data exists between the FAA and the foreign government or entity, 

accurate information may be available. 

Rationale: According to the preamble [1]: “The FAA did not propose to require 

disclosure of foreign [government or private] launch or reentry accidents because 

the information may not always be publicly available and its accuracy will be 

difficult to verify.” If the FAA has a bilateral agreement to share space flight 

safety data with a foreign government or entity, access to accurate launch and 

reentry information may be available; if so, it may apply to the human space flight 

safety record. 

5.	 The human space flight safety record includes any flight with a human on board 

regardless if it occurred before, during, or after vehicle verification. 

Rationale: This criterion clarifies that even though the vehicle safety record only 

includes flights during and after vehicle verification, all manned flights are 

included in the human space flight safety record. Verification flights are identified 

by the operator in its license or permit application to satisfy§ 460.17, verification 

program requirements. 

6.	 The vehicle safety record includes all flights during and after vehicle verification 

regardless of whether any humans were on board. 

Rationale: The FAA clarified its position on the contents of the vehicle safety 

record in the preamble [1]: “The FAA agrees that an operator need only disclose 

its safety record created during and after vehicle verification performed in 

accordance with § 460.17.” Verification flights are identified by the operator in 

its license or permit application to satisfy§ 460.17. The FAA does not require an 

operator to include developmental testing in their verification program. 

7.	 Earlier vehicle types that predate the verification of the vehicle are not part of the 

vehicle safety record. In this policy, a vehicle type means vehicles similar in 

design and structure as licensed or permitted by the FAA. 

Rationale: Per the final rule preamble [1] the FAA agreed with the public 

comment: “safety performance related to an earlier, experimental model is not 

directly relevant to a final, passenger-carrying model.” The FAA agreed with the 

commenter in principle, but the term ‘model’ is not defined in statute or 

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regulation. The term ‘vehicle type’ is used in the commercial space regulations 

and statute, to describe vehicles similar in design and structure (e.g. 

SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo are different vehicle types). Verification 

flights are identified by the operator in its license or permit application to satisfy § 

460.17, verification program requirements. 

8.	 The launch and reentry count as one flight for both safety records for orbital and 

suborbital missions. 

Rationale: To simplify reporting and avoid confusion, the FAA will count the 

launch and reentry phases as one in the safety record. From an informed consent 

perspective, the risk of the whole flight matters and not the specifics of the launch 

or reentry phase. 

9.	 If there was intent to launch, vehicles that do not leave the launch pad or airlaunched vehicles that do not have a successful ignition do not count as a flight in 

the safety records unless a mishap occurs. If a mishap occurs, the human space 

flight and vehicle safety record covers the timeframe from when the occupants are 

(or would be) exposed to vehicle hazards prior to flight until after landing when 

they are no longer exposed to vehicle hazards. 

Rationale: This criterion includes accidents occurring on the ground, but avoids 

counting launch recycles as flights in both safety records. Per the preamble [1], 

“The FAA is including accidents occurring on the ground because those are 

relevant to the risks a space flight participant faces. Accordingly, if a launch 

vehicle exploded upon ignition while on the ground, the explosion would have to 

be included as part of the vehicle safety record.” The FAA asserted this same 

philosophy in its Recommended Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant 

Safety [3]. For example, the Apollo 1 fire, which occurred with crew on board 

during a launch pad test, would not count in the human space flight record 

because there was no intent to launch. 

10.	 A flight with intent to launch that fails to complete its nominal flight profile is 

counted as a flight in both safety records. 

Rationale: This criterion includes any vehicle that ignites its rocket and does not 

attain its nominal altitude or orbit. If the vehicle does not complete the nominal 

flight profile (e.g. an abort), the occupants are exposed to risk; therefore the flight 

will count in the human space flight and vehicle safety records. 

11.	 Regarding hybrid launch systems, only occupants on board the rocket-powered, 

space-bound vehicle count toward the safety record. 

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Rationale: The carrier vehicle is the first stage of the launch system but only the 

rocket-powered vehicle is designed to go into space. As required by § 460.45(c) 

only “people who have been on a suborbital or orbital space flight” will count in 

the safety record. 

12.	 The human space flight safety record includes flight crew, government astronauts, 

and space flight participants who suffered a serious or fatal injury from the time 

they are exposed to vehicle hazards prior to flight, until after vehicle landing 

when they are no longer exposed to vehicle hazards. 

Rationale: Section 460.45(c)(1) requires disclosure of deaths and serious injury. 

The FAA’s Recommended Practices For Human Space Flight Occupant Safety 

[3] defined a minimum medical timeframe adopted by this policy: “the occupants 

of commercial human space flight vehicles should not experience an environment 

that would cause a serious injury or fatality, from the time they are exposed to 

vehicle hazards prior to flight until after landing when they are no longer exposed 

to vehicle hazards.” 

13.	 Title 49 CFR 830.2 will be used for the definition for serious injury. 

Rationale: 14 CFR 401.5 sets forth the definitions for Chapter III of Title 14 of 

the Code of Federal Regulations and defines a “launch accident,” in part, as “an 

event that causes a fatality or serious injury (as defined in 49 CFR 830.2).” The 

same definition of “serious injury” will apply to part 460. Pursuant to 49 CFR 

830.2: “serious injury means any injury which: (1) Requires hospitalization for 

more than 48 hours, commencing within 7 days from the date of the injury was 

received; (2) results in a fracture of any bone (except simple fractures of fingers, 

toes, or nose); (3) causes severe hemorrhages, nerve, muscle, or tendon damage; 

(4) involves any internal organ; or (5) involves second- or third-degree burns, or 

any burns affecting more than 5 percent of the body surface.” 

14.	 “Catastrophic failure” from § 460.45(c) for the purpose of determining a safety 

record means a failure causing death or serious injury to the people on board. 

Launch or reentry aborts, regardless of the cause, are not counted as a catastrophic 

failure unless death or serious injury occurs. 

Rationale: While the regulations do not define catastrophic, Advisory Circulars 

437.55-1 and 431.35-2A provide guidance on how to define catastrophic in in the 

context of distinguishing the different types of outcome to public safety. The 

definition provided above has been modified to address occupant safety. While 

there are numerous ways to define a catastrophic failure, ultimately the space 

flight participant’s risk comes down to death or serious injury. An abort from an 

exploding rocket may be a very significant experience, but by itself may not be 

catastrophic to the space flight participant who is not injured by the event. 

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15.	 Safety critical aborts are considered a human space flight incident in the vehicle 

safety record. 

Rationale: Safety critical aborts are considered incidents because they pose a high 

risk to the occupant and therefore meet the definition in § 401.5 “Human space 

flight incident means an unplanned event that poses a high risk of causing a 

serious or fatal injury to a space flight participant or crew.” Additionally, safety 

critical is defined in § 401.5 as “essential to safe performance or operation.” 

Non-safety critical aborts such as a carrier vehicle returning to the launch site due 

to high winds does not count as a human space flight incident because a system 

did not malfunction requiring safety critical action to prevent serious or fatal 

injury. Aborts resulting from the activation of an escape system, to separate from 

an exploding rocket, are safety critical, pose a high risk to the occupants and even 

if successful, are considered a human space flight incident. 

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_____________________________________ 

_____________________________________ 

Appendix B: Example of Crew Documentation

Example of acceptable documentation to comply with section 460.9 (Crewmember): 

NON-CERTIFICATION DISCLOSURE TO THE CREW 

(Crewmember),
 

As required by 14 CFR §460.9 we are informing you: 

“The United States Government has not certified the launch vehicle and any reentry 

vehicle as safe for carrying flight crew or space flight participants” 

(Company Name) 

CREWMEMBER SIGNATURE 

DATE 

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Appendix C: Example of Space Flight Participant Consent

Example of acceptable documentation to comply with section 460.45 (Space flight 

participant): 

INFORMED CONSENT FOR SPACE FLIGHT PARTICIPANTS
 

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RECEIPT
 

Company Name: 

Vehicle Name: 

I ACKNOWLEDGE that before paying compensation or agreeing to fly on 

[INSERT THE SPECIFIC LAUNCH OR REENTRY VEHICLE THE CONSENT 

COVERS], I received and reviewed the following information from [INSERT 

OPERATOR NAME]. 

INFORMATION 

(1) The following are known hazards and risks that could result in a serious 

injury, death, disability, or total or partial loss of physical and mental 

function. [INSERT or ATTACH: LIST OF EACH KNOWN HAZARD 

AND RISK] (____) INITIAL EACH HAZARD AND RISK 

(2) There are hazards that are not known. (____) INITIAL 

(3) My participation may result in my death, serious injury, disability, or total 

or partial loss of physical and mental function; (____) INITIAL 

(4) The United States Government has not certified the launch vehicle and any 

reentry vehicle as safe for carrying crew or space flight participants. (____) 

INITIAL 

(5) I have received from [INSERT OPERATOR NAME] Appendix A (Human 

Space Flight Safety Record) to this Acknowledgment of Receipt, and have 

been informed of the safety record of all launch and reentry vehicles that 

have carried one or more persons on board, including both U.S. 

government and private sector vehicles, which included (i) the total number 

of people who have been on a suborbital or orbital space flight and the total 

number of people who have died or been seriously injured on these flights 

and (ii) the total number of launches and reentries conducted with people 

on board and the number of catastrophic failures of those launches and 

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_____________________________________ 

_____________________________________ 

reentries. (____) INITIAL [PROVIDE APPENDIX A TO THIS 

AGREEMENT] 

(6) I have received from [INSERT OPERATOR NAME] Appendix B 

(Vehicle Safety Record) to this Acknowledgment of Receipt, which 

describes the safety record of [INSERT VEHICLE NAME], as detailed at 

Appendix B to this Acknowledgment of Receipt. This description included 

the number of any launch and reentry accidents and human space flight 

incidents that occurred during and after vehicle verification performed, 

and included: the number of vehicle flights; the number of accidents and 

human space flight incidents; and whether any corrective actions were 

taken to resolve these accidents and human space flight incidents. (____) 

INITIALS [PROVIDE APPENDIX B TO THIS AGREEMENT] 

(7) I understand that I may request additional information regarding any 

accidents and human space flight incidents reported. (____) INITIALS 

(8) I have been provided with the opportunity to ask questions orally to 

acquire a better understanding of the hazards and risks of this mission. 

(____) INITIALS 

ACKNOWLEDGE OF RECEIPT 

I knowingly consent to participate in the launch and/or reentry of the [INSERT THE 

SPECIFIC LAUNCH OR REENTRY VEHICLE THE CONSENT COVERS] vehicle. I 

understand the risk and my presence on board is voluntary. 

SPACE FLIGHT PARTICIPANT 

DATE 

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Appendix	 	 	 	 	 D: Example of Safety Record		

Example of acceptable documentation to comply with section § 460.45(c) and 

§ 460.45(d). 

Human Space Flight Safety Record 

§ 460.45(c) An operator must inform each space flight participant of the safety record of 

all launch or reentry vehicles that have carried one or more persons on board, including 

both U.S. government and private sector vehicles. This information must include— 

(1) The total number of people who have been on a suborbital or orbital 

space flight and the total number of people who have died or been seriously 

injured on these flights; and 

(2) The total number of launches and reentries conducted with people on 

board and the number of catastrophic failures of those launches and 

reentries. 

Launch type 

Total # People on 

Space Flight 

Total # People 

Died or Seriously 

Injured 

Total # of Human 

Space Flights 

Total # of 

Catastrophic 

Failures 

Orbital (Total) X X X X 

Suborbital (Total) X X X X 

Total X X X X 

Space flight information was last updated MM/DD/YYYY 

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Vehicle Safety Record 

§ 460.45(d) An operator must describe the safety record of its vehicle to each space flight 

participant. The operator's safety record must cover launch and reentry accidents and 

human space flight incidents that occurred during and after vehicle verification 

performed in accordance with §460.17, and include—

 (1) The number of vehicle flights; 

(2) The number of accidents and human space flight incidents as defined by 

section 401.5; and 

(3) Whether any corrective actions were taken to resolve these accidents and 

human space flight incidents. 

Operator Provided Vehicle Safety Record 

Operator A 

# of Vehicle 

Flights 

# of 

Accidents* 

# HSF 

Incidents* 

Vehicle Y X X X 

Vehicle flight information was last updated MM/DD/YYYY 

*The operator must indicate whether any corrective actions were 

taken to resolve these accidents and human space flight incidents. 

FAA Provided Vehicle Safety Record Across All 

Operators 

Launch type 

# of Vehicle 

Flights 

# of 

Accidents 

# HSF 

Incidents 

(+) Orbital 

(-) Suborbital X X X 

Vehicle X X X X 

Vehicle Y X X X 

Vehicle Z X X X 

... 

Vehicle flight information was last updated MM/DD/YYYY 

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