Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation

Sovaris Aerospace is pleased to have been selected as a corporate affiliate member of the Center of Excellence for Commercial Space Transportation (COE CST).  

The Centers of Excellence were established by Congress and commissioned by the FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA AST). The center is a partnership of academia, industry, and government, developed for the purpose of creating a world-class consortium that addresses current and future challenges for commercial space transportation.

The COE CST member universities include the University of Colorado at Boulder, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida State University, the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, New Mexico State University, Stanford University, the University of Central Florida, the University of Florida, and the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

The COE research and development efforts include four major research areas:

  1. Space Traffic Management & Operations
  2. Space Transportation Ops, Technologies, & Payloads
  3. Human Spaceflight
  4. Space Transportation Industry Visibility

The Sovaris Aerospace contribution to the Center of Excellence is focused on Human Spaceflight (Research Area 3).  The sub-domains of Human Spaceflight include [Figure 1]:

  • Aerospace Physiology & Medicine
  • Personnel Training
  • Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS)
  • Habitability & Human Factors
  • Human Rating

Figure 1. Centers of Excellence Four Major Research Areas

Sovaris Aerospace is focused on Research Area 3, Human Spaceflight

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation Recommended Practices Development

The FAA AST, along with COE members and external expert advisors, has developed drafts of a document in support of commercial spaceflight entitled, “Recommended Practices for Human Space Flight Occupant Safety.”  This document is intended as a compendium of best practices that serves as a frame of reference for commercial spaceflight providers and support entities.  Sovaris’ role is to support ongoing development of the human spaceflight component of the Recommended Practices document, intended to recommend and refine best practices across the industry.

 

FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation Standards Committees

Sovaris Aerospace is also involved in the human spaceflight standards committee deliberations within the Office of Commercial Space Transportation (FAA) designated partner, ASTM.  These committees are building a framework for minimal standards to be applied to humans entering the spaceflight environment via commercial spaceflight providers.

Sovaris’ committee efforts are focused on:

  • Occupant Safety of Suborbital Vehicles
  • Occupant Safety of Orbital Vehicles
  • Adverse Event Surveillance
  • First Responder Training
  • Solar Particle Event Mitigation Strategies in Low Earth Orbit