[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 93 (Tuesday, May 14, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Page 28275]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-11438]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Safety Approval 
Performance Criteria

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT.

ACTION: Notification of criteria used to evaluate the Black Sky 
Training, Inc. (BST) safety approval application.

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SUMMARY: The FAA issued BST a safety approval, subject to the 
provisions of Title 51 U.S.C Subtitle V, ch. 509, and the orders, rules 
and regulations issued under it. Pursuant to Title 14 Code of Federal 
Regulations (14 CFR) Sec.  414.35, this Notice publishes the criteria 
that were used to evaluate the safety approval application.
    Background: BST applied for, and received, a safety approval for 
its ability to provide as a service, scenario based physiology 
training, which includes hypobaric chamber training. BST may offer its 
scenario based physiology altitude training as a service to a 
prospective launch and reentry operator to meet the applicable crew and 
participant training requirements of 14 CFR 460.5 and 14 CFR 460.51.
    Criteria Used To Evaluate Safety Approval Application: The 
performance criteria for this safety approval include 14 CFR 61.31(g) 
for additional training required for operating pressurized aircraft 
capable of operating at high altitudes. These criteria are FAA 
regulations, which are acceptable technical criteria for reviewing a 
safety approval application per 14 CFR 414.19(a)(1). The FAA's 
evaluation included assessment of BST's scenario based physiology 
training lesson plan and objectives, which include classroom and 
hypobaric chamber training for crew and space flight participants to 
experience and demonstrate knowledge of the following through testing:
     Understand fundamental principles of the atmosphere and 
how it relates to the human body.
     Understand the fundamentals of respiratory physiology and 
how it relates to hypoxia.
     Show competence in the identification of the many 
different symptoms and physical signs of hypoxia.
     Show advanced competence in the phenomena of neurological 
impairment (time of useful consciousness) due to hypoxia.
     Understand the effects of prolonged oxygen use.
     Understand the difference between decompression illness 
and hypoxia.
     Demonstrate using different scenarios the difference 
between slow decompression and rapid decompression.
     Identify personal symptoms of hypoxia and demonstrate 
donning of oxygen mask and ability to perform within a hypobaric 
chamber.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the performance 
criteria, you may contact Randal Maday, Licensing and Evaluation 
Division (AST-200), FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation 
(AST), 800 Independence Avenue SW., Room 331, Washington, DC 20591, 
telephone (202) 267-8652; Email [email protected].

     Issued in Washington, DC, on May 7, 2013.
George C. Nield,
Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation.
[FR Doc. 2013-11438 Filed 5-13-13; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-13-P