FAA Commercial Space Transportation Safety Approval

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The Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) has issued the first-ever safety approval for a Spaceflight Training System. The approval was granted on April 7, 2010 to the National Aerospace Training and Research Center (NASTAR) of Southampton, Pennsylvania, for a centrifuge simulator with the ability to expose flight crew members to the G-forces they will experience during suborbital flights.

The approval process involved a thorough review of the design and operation of the NASTAR STS-400 simulator and on-site observation by AST personnel. NASTAR plans to offer its space flight simulation training to launch operators to support commercial suborbital space flights.

To learn more about the Safety Approval process, visit:

• Safety Approval Elements & Standards (PDF)
• Safety Approval Guide for Applicants, September 28, 2009 (PDF)