§ 460.59 Training of government astronauts with a safety-critical role.

(a) An operator must ensure that each government astronaut with a safety-critical role is trained on— (1) How to carry out their safety-critical role on board or on the ground so that the vehicle will not harm the public; and (2) Their role in nominal and non-nominal conditions, including abort scenarios and emergency operations, to the extent that performance of their role could impact public safety. (b) An operator must ensure any government astronaut who has the capability to control, in real time, a launch or reentry vehicle's flight path during a phase of flight capable of endangering the public: (1) Receives vehicle and mission-specific training for each phase of flight capable of endangering the public and over which the government astronaut has the capability to control the vehicle by using one or more of the following: (i) A method or device that simulates the flight; (ii) An aircraft whose characteristics are similar to the vehicle or that has similar phases of flight to the vehicle; (iii) Flight testing; or (iv) An equivalent method of training approved by the FAA through the license process. (2) Trains for each mode of control or propulsion, including any transition between modes, such that the government astronaut is able to control the vehicle. (3) Possesses aeronautical knowledge, experience, and skills necessary to pilot and control the launch or reentry vehicle that will operate in the National Airspace System (NAS). Aeronautical experience may include hours in flight, ratings, and training. (c) With respect to training device fidelity, an operator must: (1) Ensure that any government astronaut training device used to meet the training requirements realistically represents the vehicle's configuration and mission; or, (2) Inform the government astronaut being trained of the differences between the training device and the vehicle's configuration and mission. (d) An operator must update the government astronaut training to ensure that the training incorporates lessons learned from training and operational missions including— (1) Providing traceability to revisions or changes; and (2) Documenting the completed training for each government astronaut and maintaining the documentation for each active government astronaut. (e) An operator must establish a recurrent training schedule and ensure that all training of government astronauts performing safety-critical roles is current before launch or reentry. (f) For licensed missions supporting U.S. Government contracts, operators may meet the training requirements of this section through U.S. Government's contractual requirements.