The Safety Management Approach to Space Tourism

Paper number

IAC-06-E3.4.04

Author

Mr. Andy Quinn, Spaceflight Safety Services Ltd, United Kingdom

Year

2006

Abstract

Travelling at 3 times the speed of sound during the ascent and experiencing 5 times Earth’s nominal gravitational forces during re-entry is not a normal flight profile. How does the general public, let alone highly trained flight crew, cope with these and other exacting environmental factors during a suborbital spaceflight?  To enable the innovative space tourism industry to achieve success, designers and operators must constantly view the challenge from a safety perspective. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has produced regulatory guidelines to cover the varying design proposals of prospective Re-Launch Vehicle (RLV) operators and these guidelines provide baseline measures. The challenge for the RLV operators is to employ criteria to meet and exceed the guidelines. 

This paper examines the challenges using a Safety Management System (SMS) approach. The author has undertaken the available training for the space participants to gather experiential research data, including radial G-Force experience (centrifuge and flight in an RAF Hawk fast jet), simulated zero-G forces (parabola flight), aircraft simulator training, disorientation training (disorientation motion simulator and 3-axis ‘spaceball’), and hyperbaric training (decompression chamber and pressure breathing). This practical data, together with the theoretical analysis of American and Russian operated space flight profiles, and the Scaled Composite’s SpaceShipOne profile,  enabled the author to identify key issues  that need to be addressed; G-Forces, Life Support Systems, Noise, Vibration, Radiation and Medical standards.  A high-level Safety Case methodology was reviewed, employing the Goal Structured Notation (GSN) model, whereby evidence was examined to support arguments that the overall goal is satisfied – ‘the flight crew and space participants are acceptably safe for spaceflight’.   

The findings verified the requirement for an SMS approach, including safety by design in the early stages being a critical factor. The practical research phase highlighted that psychological and physiological management of the flight crew, especially for the space participants, is vital to assure the success of the industry.  The outcome of the research included recommendations for an SMS approach, including mitigating measures in order to satisfy and exceed FAA requirements.  It is concluded that exacting environments require high levels of safety management, both in design and operation; an RLV with in-built safety features still requires an effective safety culture embedded within an operator’s effective SMS to avoid a disastrous event. Space tourism can be successful, so long as safety management principles are proactively employed from the beginning and with commitment at all levels of the industry.         

Abstract document

IAC-06-E3.4.04.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-06-E3.4.04.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.