JF Mezei wrote on Sun, 29 Apr 2018
16:11:50 -0400:

On 2018-04-29 08:49, Jeff Findley wrote:

vehicle is certified. For flying vehicles, that's the FAA's
responsibility. NASA flies employees every single day on commercial
passenger aircraft yet they're not "legally responsible" for any
commercial passenger jet aircraft mishaps.


Fair point.

Question: When Challenger blew up, was Christa McAuliffe considered a
NASA employee or truly just a passenger who got training from NASA but
still employed by her school?


She was at most a 'temp'. She was a 'civilian teacher', just like
Senator Glenn and Senator Garn didn't become 'NASA employees' when
they rode on the Shuttle.


I think traditionally, "Astronaut" was more like the pilot of a
commercial aircraft than a passenger. Hence employer responsible for
employee safety because driving the rocket was the job.


So we're from "legally responsible" to "Mayfly thinks". And Mayfly
thinks incorrectly, by the way. Just why do you think all those
astronauts were military pilots?


If you move to a paradigm where NASA employees become mere passengers on
commercial spacecraft that are piloted by the commercial operator, then
you are correct that employer NASA may just have to ensure the
commercial operator has an FAA certification.


He's correct regardless.


But things change if NASA buys the ship and puts its own pilots on the
rockets and runs the launch. No longer buying seats on a commercial
flights, it is chartering the plane and putting its own staff to run it.


No, things don't change. NASA owns a bunch of 'commercial' aircraft.
Do you seriously believe they just ignore the existence of an FAA type
certification and use their own airworthiness rules?


But how will NASA certify manned commercial operations? Won't it use
NASA standards or develop their own?


If the vehicle they're using has an FAA certification, why would they?
The only conceivable reason would be because they're trying to block
the use of the vehicle because they have their own agenda and their
own vehicle.


The other aspect is that NASA will have its standards still apply
becauyse of a ship docking/berthing to its property (space station) and
launching from its property (KSC). (for insance, requiring commefcial
operator cede authority to military who gets the right to press the red
button to detonate the rocket).


Totally different issues than NASA 'man rating'.


--
"Some people get lost in thought because it's such unfamiliar
territory."
--G. Behn