Location
Cocoa Beach
Start Date
7-12-2012 4:00 PM
Description
The thrill of spaceflight has unleashed a flood of new space launch concepts in the United States. A host of reusable launch vehicles are being considered to launch private citizens on a suborbital jaunt to the edge of space. Private launch vehicle manufacturers are employing unique winged vehicle design concepts to attempt to significantly reduce the cost of launching space hardware. Additionally, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being tested for a myriad of applications such as border patrol, homeland security, military training, gathering scientific data, etc. Some of these UAV programs are poised to join space launch vehicles and commercial aviation in a crowded National Airspace System.
When these various programs launch from the Canaveral Spaceport, range safety experts must be prepared to address the unique safety concerns that these winged vehicles present to the general public. This presentation will compare historical techniques for assessing public risk due to orbital launch vehicles with special considerations that must be made when launching winged vehicles. This discussion will also address whether the general public is safer with a pilot in control and how a pilot’s decisions in emergency situations affect public safety.
Range Safety Concerns for Launching Winged Vehicles from Canaveral Spaceport
Cocoa Beach
The thrill of spaceflight has unleashed a flood of new space launch concepts in the United States. A host of reusable launch vehicles are being considered to launch private citizens on a suborbital jaunt to the edge of space. Private launch vehicle manufacturers are employing unique winged vehicle design concepts to attempt to significantly reduce the cost of launching space hardware. Additionally, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are being tested for a myriad of applications such as border patrol, homeland security, military training, gathering scientific data, etc. Some of these UAV programs are poised to join space launch vehicles and commercial aviation in a crowded National Airspace System.
When these various programs launch from the Canaveral Spaceport, range safety experts must be prepared to address the unique safety concerns that these winged vehicles present to the general public. This presentation will compare historical techniques for assessing public risk due to orbital launch vehicles with special considerations that must be made when launching winged vehicles. This discussion will also address whether the general public is safer with a pilot in control and how a pilot’s decisions in emergency situations affect public safety.
Comments
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