Office of Commercial Space Transportation FAA/AST

NASA Insurance Task Report

Pam UnderwoodTechnical Advisor Kennedy Space Center Operations Office

May 10. 2012

Federal AviationAdministration

NASA Insurance Task Briefing to COMSTAC BLWGMay 10, 2012

Federal AviationAdministration 2

Overview

• MOU signed September 2011

• FAA to assess the availability and affordability of commercial insurance for commercial crew program missions

• Initial scenarios and questions developed by NASA and the FAA (December 2011)

• COMSTAC Risk Management Working Group Mtg (Feb 2012)

• Independent industry survey conducted in parallel (Tauri Group)

• Commercial Launch Providers

• Space Insurance Industry (underwriters & brokers)

• Final draft delivered to NASA 30 April 2012

NASA Insurance Task Briefing to COMSTAC BLWGMay 10, 2012

Federal AviationAdministration 3

Report Scenarios

  Description FAA LicenseCrew or Space

Flight Participant

Scenario A:NASA Astronauts as

Space Flight Participants

FAA-licensed missions carrying NASA astronauts as space flight participants including ISS international partners

YES NASA Space Flight Participant

Scenario B:NASA Astronauts as Crew

FAA-licensed missions carrying NASA astronauts as crew including ISS international partners

YESNASA Crew

Scenario C: Test or Vehicle

Certification Flight

FAA-licensed missions without space flight participants or crews, for the purposes of NASA test flight or vehicle certification

YES No Space Flight Participant or Crew

Scenario D:NASA Astronauts

Non-FAA-licensed missions carrying NASA astronauts including ISS international partners

NONASA Astronaut

Scenario E:Non-Government as

Space Flight Participants

FAA-licensed missions carrying non-government space flight participants

YES Non-government Space Flight Participant

NASA Insurance Task Briefing to COMSTAC BLWGMay 10, 2012

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Final Draft Findings

• Designation of “SFP” or “crew” for NASA astronauts not important to insurance or commercial launch providers

• More relevant to the determination of policy terms and premiums:• Level of training • Mission responsibility (ie: part of flight safety system)

• Potential impact of SFP and crew on MPL• Vehicle trajectory changes that may increase public risk (ie: aborts)• Additional scrutiny on systems and testing for “human rating” could

result in higher vehicle reliability• General consensus that SFP and crew part of the FSS will “reduce

risk”• Most important factor in determining insurance availability and pricing is

vehicles safety or reliability record or “flight proven” history

NASA Insurance Task Briefing to COMSTAC BLWGMay 10, 2012

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Final Draft Areas for Possible Future Work

• SFP and crew not considered third party, but government personnel “involved” in the licensed activity are third party for the purposes of MPL

• SFP and crew cross waiver of claims against the US Gov’t and any impact to workman’s comp coverage for NASA astronauts

• Commercial launch providers and insurers recommendation to extend the CSLA liability regime to include on-orbit activities

• Potential benefit to industry from a limit or cap on space flight participant liability and/or reciprocal waiver of claims between the SFP or crew and commercial launch providers

NASA Insurance Task Briefing to COMSTAC BLWGMay 10, 2012

Federal AviationAdministration 6

Summary

• Final draft insurance task report intended to be a survey of the commercial insurance industry and their stakeholders

• Provided a report of current thinking and impressions of the industry on matters relevant to availability and affordability of insurance for human spaceflight missions

• Intended to be an informational resource to the FAA and NASA on future commercial human spaceflight missions