Regulatory procedures and standards for launch range safety for manned and unmanned launches

Publisher Summary The chapter explores the key public safety question that will ultimately be required to be addressed in the USA, Europe, and other parts of the world is whether certain mandatory requirements will be applied. It also articulates about the factors common to both expendable and reusable vehicles. These are generally risk management techniques, independent validation and verification, the perception required for oversight of launch safety as exercised by US government regulatory procedures, and any state or local oversight requirements that may apply, especially as exercised at the launch facility and vicinity. As revealed in the chapter, the presence of humans is regarded as only one factor. Other factors and consideration include orbital flight versus sub-orbital flight, lower g forces (i.e. 3e6 gs for short duration) versus much higher g forces of longer duration, different environmental conditions with regard to radiation exposure, orbital debris exposure, much different temperature differentials during re-entry and landing operations, different abort and escape options, and more.