(a) Applicability. This section applies to the use of wind weighting as a hazard control strategy for the flight of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle to meet the safety criteria of § 450.101(a), (b), and (c).

(b) Wind weighting safety system. The flight of an unguided suborbital launch vehicle that uses a wind weighting safety system must meet the following:

(1) The launcher azimuth and elevation settings must be wind weighted to correct for the effects of wind conditions at the time of flight to provide impact locations that will ensure compliance with the safety criteria in § 450.101; and

(2) An operator must use launcher azimuth and elevation angle settings that ensures the rocket will not fly in an unintended direction accounting for uncertainties in vehicle and launcher design and manufacturing, and atmospheric uncertainties.

(c) Analysis. An operator must—

(1) Establish flight commit criteria and other flight safety rules that control the risk to the public from potential adverse effects resulting from normal and malfunctioning flight;

(2) Establish any wind constraints under which flight may occur; and

(3) Conduct a wind weighting analysis that establishes the launcher azimuth and elevation settings that correct for the windcocking and wind-drift effects on the unguided suborbital launch vehicle.

(d) Stability. An unguided suborbital launch vehicle, in all configurations, must be stable throughout each stage of powered flight.

(e) Application requirements. An applicant must submit in its application the following:

(1) A description of its wind weighting analysis methods, including its method and schedule of determining wind speed and wind direction for each altitude layer;

(2) A description of its wind weighting safety system including all equipment used to perform the wind weighting analysis; and

(3) A representative wind weighting analysis using actual or statistical winds for the launch area and samples of the output.

Flight Safety Analyses