[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 5, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14401-14402]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-05066]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee; Public 
Teleconference

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notice of Commercial Space Transportation Advisory Committee 
Teleconference.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to Section 10(a)(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee 
Act (Pub. L. 92-463, 5 U.S.C. App. 2), notice is hereby given of two 
teleconferences of the Systems Working Group of the Commercial Space 
Transportation Advisory Committee (COMSTAC).

DATES: The teleconferences will take place on Thursday, March 21, 2013, 
and Tuesday, April 16, 2013. Both teleconferences will begin at 1:00 
p.m. Eastern Time and will last approximately one hour. The 
presentation and call-in number will be posted at least one week in 
advance at http://www.ast.faa.gov/.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Paul Eckert (AST-3), Office of 
Commercial Space Transportation (AST), 800 Independence Avenue SW., 
Room 331, Washington, DC 20591, telephone (202) 267-8655; Email 
[email protected]. Complete information regarding COMSTAC is 
available on the FAA Web site at: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/advisory_committee/.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose of these two teleconferences is 
to assist the FAA in its development of guidelines for the safety of 
occupants of commercial suborbital and orbital spacecraft. In a Federal 
Register notice dated July 30, 2012, the FAA announced its desire to 
engage with COMSTAC on a periodic basis, approximately once per month, 
on specific topics. Six teleconferences have been held to date. The two 
teleconferences announced today are the last two planned until the FAA 
issues draft guidelines. The topics for the two teleconferences are as 
follows:
    (1) Medical Best Practices for Crew and Space Flight Participants. 
We would like to explore industry views on medical best practices for 
occupant safety, to include ensuring that safety critical operations 
personnel and spaceflight participants are physically capable of 
performing safety critical tasks. We would like to discuss the 
following questions from a guidance perspective:
    a. What is the appropriate level of medical screening for safety 
critical operations personnel?
    b. What is the appropriate level of medical screening for 
spaceflight participants?
    c. Should there be medical criteria for ending a flight early due 
to crew or spaceflight participant illness or medical emergency?
    d. What type of medical kit should be recommended?
    e. What type of flight crew medical training should be recommended?
    f. How do the answers to these questions depend on whether a flight 
is sub-orbital or orbital?
    (2) Communications and Commanding Best Practices for Minimum Level 
of Safety. To date, communications (voice, telemetry and command) have 
been an important element in every human spaceflight mission and the 
FAA would like to explore industry best practices in this area. We will 
discuss the following questions from a guidance perspective:
    a. Should vehicle-to-ground communications be considered a critical 
function?
    b. What would be the appropriate coverage for the different phases 
of flight (prelaunch, ascent, orbit, entry, post-landing and aborts)?
    c. Should ground voice, telemetry, or commanding be allowed to 
serve as a part of a hazard control?
    d. When would intra-vehicle voice communication be recommended?
    e. Should a minimum threshold be set for intelligibility level? 
What would it be?
    f. When would ground monitoring of telemetry and ground control be 
recommended?
    g. What should be included in the telemetry, and how often should 
it update?
    h. Should encryption be required for critical commands?
    Interested members of the public may submit relevant written 
statements for the COMSTAC working group members to consider under the 
advisory process. Statements may concern the issues and agenda items 
mentioned above or additional issues that may be relevant for the U.S. 
commercial space transportation industry. Interested parties wishing to 
submit written statements should contact Paul Eckert, Designated 
Federal Officer (the person listed in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 
CONTACT section), in writing (mail or email) by March 14, 2013 for the 
March 21 teleconference, and April 9, 2013 for the April 16 
teleconference. This way the information can be made available to 
COMSTAC members for their review and consideration before each 
teleconference. Written statements should be supplied in the following 
formats: one hard copy with original signature or one electronic copy 
via email.
    Individuals who plan to participate and need special assistance 
should inform the person listed in the FOR

[[Page 14402]]

FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section in advance of the meeting.

    Issued in Washington, DC, on February 27, 2013.
George C. Nield,
Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2013-05066 Filed 3-4-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P