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.

Attendees of the Range Commanders Council’s 117th Range Safety Group Technical Interchange Meeting last November discussed the growing relevancy of autonomous flight systems in the Range Flight Safety community, as well as related policy changes needed to accommodate the new interest. In addition, they discussed resource protection, a launch vehicle failure, and upcoming policy and risk criteria changes related to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. The meeting was hosted by the Missile Defense Agency at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, and attended by representatives from government agencies and industries with ties to and interest in the U.S. National Test Ranges.

As more NASA programs and projects begin using Unmanned Aircraft Systems to achieve their missions, the agency must carefully implement policies and controls to ensure safety.