|
The Office of Commercial Space Transportation is a division of the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that approves any commercial rocket launches—that is, any launches that are not classified as model, amateur, or "by and for the government." The office is headed by the FAA Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation (FAA/AST). The office is located in Washington, DC, and ultimately operates under the Department of Transportation. The Federal Aviation Administration is the entity of the United States government which regulates and oversees all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S. // Activities Along with the European Joint Aviation Authorities, the FAA is one of the two main agencies worldwide responsible for the certification of new aircraft. ...
A Redstone rocket, part of the Mercury program A rocket is a vehicle, missile or aircraft which obtains thrust by the reaction to the ejection of fast moving exhaust gas from within a rocket engine. ...
A model rocket. ...
Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United...
The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) is a Cabinet department of the United States government concerned with transport. ...
Under international law, the nationality of the owner of a launch vehicle determines which country is responsible for any damages resulting from that vehicle. Due to this, the United States requires that rocket manufacturers and launchers adhere to specific regulations to indemnify and protect the safety of people and property that may be affected by a flight. The Office of Commercial Space Transportation was created in 1985 by the Commercial Space Launch Act to meet this need. International law deals with the relationships between states, or between persons or entities in different states. ...
1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Generally, amateur rockets must request a waiver to enter national airspace. These waivers, though they are granted by the FAA's Flight Standards Office, are monitored by the Office of Commercial Space Transportation, in particular in cases where the maximum altitude of the rocket is greater than 25,000 ft (7620 m) above ground level (AGL). In these cases the launch operator may be required to show analyses proving the safety of the proposed launch, and may be subject to extra terms and conditions within the waiver itself. A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some right or privilege. ...
Rocket categories According to current US law, rockets fall into three basic categories (with the possibility of a fourth being added soon). Each category is usually correlated to a specific set of regulations, though exceptions exist for all categories.
For a rocket to even be considered a rocket, its thrust must be greater than lift for the majority of powered flight[1].
Model rockets do not require approval to be launched, and are defined as having all the following characteristics:
- Unmanned
- Uses less than 4 ounces (113 grams) of propellant
- Uses a slow-burning propellant
- Made of paper, wood, or breakable plastic, containing no substantial metal parts and weighing not more than 16 ounces (453 grams), including the propellant;
- Operated in a manner that does not create a hazard to persons, property, or other aircraft.
Amateur rockets generally require a "Part 101 waiver" (or, more specifically, a waiver to 14 CFR 101.23(b)). They are defined as those rockets that cannot meet the definition of model rockets, but can meet all the following conditions[2]: - Launched from private site
- Burn time of less than 15 seconds
- Total impulse of less than 200,000 lbf·s (890 kN·s)
- Ballistic coefficient of less than 12 lb/in² (8450 kg/m²)
Licensed rockets are all other rockets, and are subject to AST's licensing process (14 CFR Chapter III). The only exception to this are launches that are by and for the government. NASA's shuttle and military rockets, for example, fall under this category, and do not require a license to launch.
External links |
Feeds |
Contact