(a) General. An applicant's safety review document must contain the flight safety system test data required by this section for the launch of an orbital and guided suborbital expendable launch vehicle that uses a flight safety system to protect public safety as required by § 417.107(a) of this chapter. This section applies to all testing required by part 417, subpart D of this chapter and its appendices, including qualification, acceptance, age surveillance, and preflight testing of a flight safety system and its subsystems and individual components. An applicant must file all required test data, no later than 12 months before the applicant brings any launch vehicle to the proposed launch site. An applicant may file test data earlier to allow greater time for addressing issues that the FAA may identify to avoid possible impact on the proposed launch date. Flight safety system testing need not be completed before the FAA issues a launch license. Prior to flight, a licensee must successfully complete all required flight safety system testing and file the completed test reports or the test report summaries required by § 417.305(d) of this chapter and section E417.1(i) of appendix E of part 417 of this chapter.
(b) Testing compliance matrix. An applicant's safety review document must contain a compliance matrix of all the flight safety system, subsystem, and component testing requirements of part 417 of this chapter and appendix E to part 417 of this chapter. This matrix must identify each test requirement and indicate compliance as follows:
(1) “Yes” if the applicant performs the system or component testing required by part 417 of this chapter. The matrix must reference documentation that demonstrates compliance;
(2) “Not applicable” if the applicant's system design and operational environment are such that the test requirement does not apply. For each such case, an applicant must demonstrate, as required by § 406.3(b), of the non-applicability of that requirement as an attachment to the matrix;
(3) “Similarity” if the test requirement applies to a component whose design is similar to a previously qualified component. For each such case, an applicant must demonstrate similarity by performing the analysis required by appendix E of part 417 of this chapter. The matrix, or an attachment, must contain the results of each analysis; or
(4) “Equivalent level of safety” in each case where the applicant proposes to show that its test program provides an equivalent level of safety through some means other than that required by part 417 of this chapter. For each such case, an applicant must clearly and convincingly demonstrate through a technical rationale, within the matrix or as an attachment, that the alternative provides a level of safety equivalent to satisfying the requirement that it replaces, as required by § 406.3(c).
(c) Test program overview and schedule. A safety review document must contain a summary of the applicant's flight safety system test program that identifies the location of the testing and the personnel who ensure the validity of the results. A safety review document must contain a schedule for successfully completing each test before flight. The applicant must reference the schedule to the time of liftoff for the first proposed flight attempt.
(d) Flight safety system test plans and procedures. An applicant's safety review document must contain test plans that satisfy the flight safety system testing requirements of subpart D of part 417 of this chapter and appendix E of part 417 of this chapter. An applicant's safety review document must contain a list of all flight termination system test procedures and a synopsis of the procedures that demonstrates how they meet the test requirements of part 417 of this chapter. The list must reference each procedure by title, any document number, and date.
(e) Test reports. An applicant's safety review document must contain either the test reports, or a summary of the test report which captures the overall test results, including all test discrepancies and their resolution, prepared as required by § 417.305(d) of this chapter and section E417.1(i) of appendix E of part 417 of this chapter, for each flight safety system test completed at the time of license application. An applicant must file any remaining test reports or summaries before flight as required by § 417.305(d) and section E417.1(i) of appendix E of part 417 of this chapter. Upon request, the launch operator must file the complete test report with the FAA for review, if the launch operator previously filed test report summaries with the FAA.
(f) Reuse of flight termination system components. An applicant's safety review document must contain a reuse qualification test, refurbishment plan, and acceptance test plan for the use of any flight termination system component on more than one flight. This test plan must define the applicant's process for demonstrating that the component can satisfy all its performance specifications when subjected to the qualification test environmental levels plus the total number of exposures to the maximum expected environmental levels for each of the flights to be flown.