The Explosives and Pyrotechnics Safety program recently updated its policy regarding the storage and distribution of small arms ammunition.

Managing the oversight of ammunition affects both the Explosives and Pyrotechnics Safety program and center security offices, and requires careful definition of responsibilities and processes to eliminate redundant activities between the two groups.

An update to NASA-STD-8719.12A, Safety Standard for Explosives, Propellants, and Pyrotechnics added a new section to the standard that applies only to model rockets that makes them exempt from general explosives requirements that were unnecessarily prohibitive in this context. As a result, NASA’s outreach programs will have an easier time using model rockets for educational purposes.

NASA recently updated NASA-STD-8719.14, Process for Limiting Orbital Debris. This update follows the February 2017 revision of the governing policy document NPR 8715.6, NASA Procedural Requirements for Limiting Orbital Debris and Evaluating the Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Environments.

NPR 8735.1 Revision D, Exchange of Problem Data Using NASA Advisories and the Government-Industry Data Exchange Program went into effect July 29, 2018. 

The four guiding principles in the U.S. Government Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices, approved in 2001, are to limit the generation of mission-related debris, accidental explosions and collisions, and to conduct postmission disposal. Both the 2006 and 2010 U.S. National Space Policies directed U.S. government departments and agencies to implement the standard practices to limit the generation of new debris by their space missions. NPR 8715.6, NASA Procedural Requirements for Limiting Orbital Debris and Evaluating the Meteoroid and Orbital Debris Environments and NASA-STD-8719.14, Process for Limiting Orbital Debris represent the agency’s implementation of the standard practices.

Updates to American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) S-080A, Space Systems—Metallic Pressure Vessels, Pressurized Structures, and Pressure Components and ANSI/AIAA S-081B, Space Systems—Composite Overwrapped Pressure Vessels went into effect March 2018. 

NASA-STD-8719.12A, Safety Standard for Explosives, Propellants, and Pyrotechnics went into effect May 23, 2018. Although Revision A does not include many changes to specific policy requirements, it was a major update in that a lot of content was removed and rearranged. 

At the recommendation of the NASA Metrology and Calibration (MetCal) Program, the Office of Safety and Mission Assurance cancelled NPD 8730.1, Metrology and Calibration and transferred the content to a new NASA standard, NASA-STD-8739.12, Metrology and Calibration, which went into effect Jan. 23, 2018. NPD 8730.5, NASA Quality Assurance Program Policy will carry the remaining MetCal policy language that was not transferred to NASA-STD-8739.12.

The NASA Range Flight Safety Program updated NPR 8715.5, Range Flight Safety Program and released the newly created NASA-STD-8719.25, Range Flight Safety Requirements, which went into effect on Feb .2 and Feb. 5, respectively. The creation of the standard and subsequent changes to the NASA Procedural Requirements (NPR) support an agency effort to ensure NPRs focus on policy and process, while standards contain technical requirements.

Updates to Chapters 4, 5 and 8 of NPR 8715.3, NASA General Safety Program Requirements went into effect on Aug. 1, 2017. These updates, part of Revision D, met the NASA requirement that ensures policies are updated at least every five years; however, a complete update to the policy is still in the works.