Regulations last checked for updates: Nov 27, 2024
Title 14 - Aeronautics and Space last revised: Nov 21, 2024
§ 431.71 - Public safety responsibility.
(a) A licensee is responsible for ensuring the safe conduct of an RLV mission and for protecting public health and safety and the safety of property during the conduct of the mission.
(b) A licensee must conduct a licensed RLV mission and perform RLV safety procedures in accordance with representations made in its license application. A licensee's failure to perform safety procedures in accordance with the representations made in the license application or comply with any license condition is sufficient basis for the revocation of a license or other appropriate nforcement action.
§ 431.73 - Continuing accuracy of license application; application for modification of license.
(a) A licensee is responsible for the continuing accuracy of representations contained in its application for the entire term of the license.
(b) After a license has been issued, a licensee must apply to the FAA for modification of the license if—
(1) The licensee proposes to conduct an RLV mission or perform a safety-critical operation in a manner not authorized by the license; or
(2) Any representation contained in the license application that is material to public health and safety or the safety of property is no longer accurate and complete or does not reflect the licensee's procedures governing the actual conduct of an RLV mission. A change is material to public health and safety or the safety of property if it alters or affects the—
(i) Mission rules, procedures, checklists, emergency plans, and contingency abort plans, if any, submitted in accordance with § 431.39
(ii) Class of payload;
(iii) Type of RLV;
(iv) Any safety-critical system;
(v) Type and container of the hazardous material carried by the vehicle;
(vi) Flight trajectory;
(vii) Launch site or reentry site or other landing location; or
(viii) Any safety system, policy, procedure, requirement, criteria, or standard.
(c) An application to modify an RLV mission license must be prepared and submitted in accordance with part 413 of this chapter. The licensee must indicate any part of its license or license application that would be changed or affected by a proposed modification.
(d) The FAA reviews determinations and approvals required by this chapter to determine whether they remain valid after submission of a proposed modification.
(e) Upon approval of a modification, the FAA issues either a written approval to the licensee or a license order amending the license if a stated term or condition of the license is changed, added, or deleted. An approval has the full force and effect of a license order and is part of the licensing record.
(f) The Administrator may determine that a modification to a license issued under this part must comply with the requirements in part 450 of this chapter. The Administrator will base the determination on the extent and complexity of the modification, whether the applicant proposes to modify multiple parts of the application, or if the application requires significant evaluation.
[Docket No. FAA-1999-5535, 65 FR 56658, Sept. 19, 2000, as amended by Doc. No. FAA-2019-0229, Amdt. 431-7, 85 FR 79717, Dec. 10, 2020]
§ 431.75 - Agreements.
(a) Launch and reentry site use agreements. Before conducting a licensed RLV mission using property and services of a Federal launch range or licensed launch or reentry site operator, a licensee or applicant shall enter into an agreement with the Federal launch range and/or licensed site operator that provides for access to and use of property and services required to support a licensed RLV mission or reentry and for public safety related operations and support. The agreement shall be in effect before any licensed RLV mission or reentry. A licensee shall comply with any requirements of the agreement that may affect public health and safety and the safety of property during the conduct of its licensed activity.
(b) Agreements for notices to mariners and airmen. Unless otherwise addressed in agreements between a licensed launch site operator and the U.S. Coast Guard and the FAA, respectively, a licensee authorized to conduct an RLV mission using a launch site or reentry site other than a Federal launch range shall complete the following:
(1) An agreement between the licensee and the local U.S. Coast Guard district to establish procedures for the issuance of a Notice to Mariners prior to a launch or reentry and other measures as the Coast Guard deems necessary to protect public health and safety; and
(2) An agreement between the licensee and the FAA regional office having jurisdiction over the airspace through which a launch and reentry will take place, to establish procedures for the issuance of a Notice to Airmen prior to the conduct of a licensed launch or reentry and for closing of air routes during the respective launch and reentry windows and other measures deemed necessary by the FAA regional office in order to protect public health and safety.
§ 431.77 - Records.
(a) Except as specified in paragraph (b) of this section, a licensee shall maintain for 3 years all records, data, and other material necessary to verify that a licensed RLV mission is conducted in accordance with representations contained in the licensee's application.
(b) In the event of a launch accident, reentry accident, launch incident or reentry incident, as defined in § 401.5 of this chapter, a licensee shall preserve all records related to the event. Records must be retained until completion of any Federal investigation and the FAA advises the licensee that the records need not be retained. The licensee shall make all records required to be maintained under the regulations available to Federal officials for inspection and copying.
§ 431.79 - Reusable launch vehicle mission reporting requirements.
(a) Not less than 60 days before each RLV mission conducted under a license, a licensee shall provide the FAA with the following information:
(1) Payload information in accordance with 14 CFR § 415.59 of this chapter and § 431.57; and
(2) Flight information, including the vehicle, launch site, planned launch and reentry flight path, and intended landing sites including contingency abort sites.
(3) Launch or reentry waivers, approved or pending, from a Federal range from which the launch or reentry will take place, that are unique and may affect public safety.
(b) Not later than 15 days before each licensed RLV mission, a licensee must notify the FAA, in writing, of the time and date of the intended launch and reentry or other landing on Earth of the RLV and may utilize the FAA/U.S. Space Command Launch Notification Form, contained in part 415, Appendix A, of this subchapter for doing so.
(c) A licensee must report a launch accident, launch incident, reentry accident, reentry incident, or other mishap immediately to the FAA Washington Operations Center and provide a written preliminary report in the event of a launch accident, launch incident, reentry accident, or reentry incident, in accordance with the mishap investigation and emergency response plan submitted as part of its license application under § 431.45.
[Docket No. FAA-1999-5535, 65 FR 56658, Sept. 19, 2000, as amended by Amdt. No. 431-5, 81 FR 59440, Aug. 30, 2016]
§ 431.81 - Financial responsibility requirements.
A licensee under this part must comply with financial responsibility requirements specified in its license.
§ 431.83 - Compliance monitoring.
A licensee shall allow access by, and cooperate with, Federal officers or employees or other individuals authorized by the FAA to observe any activities of the licensee, or of the licensee's contractors or subcontractors, associated with the conduct of a licensed RLV mission.
§ 431.85 - Registration of space objects.
(a) To assist the U.S. Government in implementing Article IV of the 1975 Convention on Registration of Objects Launched into Outer Space, each licensee shall provide to the FAA the information required by paragraph (b) of this section for all objects placed in space by a licensed RLV mission, including an RLV and any components, except:
(1) Any object owned and registered by the U.S. Government; and
(2) Any object owned by a foreign entity.
(b) For each object that must be registered in accordance with this section, a licensee shall submit the following information not later than thirty (30) days following the conduct of a licensed RLV mission :
(1) The international designator of the space object(s);
(2) Date and location of the RLV mission initiation;
(3) General function of the space object; and
(4) Final orbital parameters, including:
(i) Nodal period;
(ii) Inclination;
(iii) Apogee; and
(iv) Perigee.
(c) A licensee shall notify the FAA when it removes an object that it has previously placed in space.
§§ 431.86-431.90 - §[Reserved]
source: Docket No. FAA-1999-5535, 65 FR 56658, Sept. 19, 2000, unless otherwise noted.
cite as: 14 CFR 431.81