417.121—Safety critical preflight operations.
(a) General.
A launch operator must perform safety critical preflight operations that protect the public from the adverse effects of hazards associated with launch processing and flight of a launch vehicle. The launch operator must identify all safety critical preflight operations in the launch schedule required by § 417.17(b)(1). Safety critical preflight operations must include those defined in this section.
(b) Countdown.
A launch operator must implement its countdown plan, of § 417.111(l), for each launch. A launch operator must disseminate a countdown plan to all personnel responsible for the countdown and flight of a launch vehicle, and each person must follow that plan.
(c) Collision avoidance.
A launch operator must coordinate with United States Strategic Command to obtain a collision avoidance analysis, also referred to as a conjunction on launch assessment, as required by § 417.231. A launch operator must implement flight commit criteria as required by § 417.113(b) to ensure that each launch meets all the criteria of § 417.107(e).
(d) Meteorological data.
A launch operator must conduct operations and coordinate with weather organizations, as needed, to obtain accurate meteorological data to support the flight safety analysis required by subpart C of this part and to ensure compliance with the flight commit criteria required by § 417.113.
(e) Local notification.
A launch operator must implement its local agreements and public coordination plan of § 417.111(i).
(f) Hazard area surveillance.
A launch operator must implement its hazard area surveillance and clearance plan, of § 417.111(j), to meet the public safety criteria of § 417.107(b) for each launch.
(g) Flight safety system preflight tests.
A launch operator must conduct preflight tests of any flight safety system as required by section E417.41 of appendix E of this part.
(h) Launch vehicle tracking data verification.
For each launch, a launch operator must implement written procedures for verifying the accuracy of any launch vehicle tracking data provided. For a launch vehicle flown with a flight safety system, any source of tracking data must satisfy the requirements of § 417.307(b).
(i) Unguided suborbital rocket preflight operations.
For the launch of an unguided suborbital rocket, in addition to meeting the other requirements of this section, a launch operator must perform the preflight wind weighting and other preflight safety operations required by §§ 417.125, 417.233, and appendix C of this part.