Title 14

SECTION 417.209

417.209 Malfunction turn analysis.

§ 417.209 Malfunction turn analysis.

(a) General. A flight safety analysis must include a malfunction turn analysis that establishes the launch vehicle's turning capability in the event of a malfunction during flight. A malfunction turn analysis must account for each cause of a malfunction turn, such as thrust vector offsets or nozzle burn-through. For each cause of a malfunction turn, the analysis must establish the launch vehicle's turning capability using a set of turn curves. The analysis must account for:

(1) All trajectory times during the thrusting phases of flight.

(2) When a malfunction begins to cause each turn throughout the thrusting phases of flight. The analysis must account for trajectory time intervals between malfunction turn start times that are sufficient to establish flight safety limits and hazard areas that are smooth and continuous.

(3) The relative probability of occurrence of each malfunction turn of which the launch vehicle is capable.

(4) The time, as a single value or a probability time distribution, when each malfunction turn will terminate due to vehicle breakup.

(5) What terminates each malfunction turn, such as, aerodynamic breakup or inertial breakup.

(6) The launch vehicle's turning behavior from the time when a malfunction begins to cause a turn until aerodynamic breakup, inertial breakup, or ground impact. The analysis must account for trajectory time intervals during the malfunction turn that are sufficient to establish turn curves that are smooth and continuous.

(7) For each malfunction turn, the launch vehicle velocity vector turn angle from the nominal launch vehicle velocity vector.

(8) For each malfunction turn, the launch vehicle velocity turn magnitude from the nominal velocity magnitude that corresponds to the velocity vector turn angle.

(9) For each malfunction turn, the orientation of the launch vehicle longitudinal axis measured relative to the nominal launch vehicle longitudinal axis or Earth relative velocity vector at the start of the turn.

(b) Set of turn curves for each malfunction turn cause. For each cause of a malfunction turn, the analysis must establish a set of turn curves that satisfies paragraph (a) of this section and must establish the associated envelope of the set of turn curves. Each set of turn curves must describe the variation in the malfunction turn characteristics for each cause of a turn. The envelope of each set of curves must define the limits of the launch vehicle's malfunction turn behavior for each cause of a malfunction turn. For each malfunction turn envelope, the analysis must establish the launch vehicle velocity vector turn angle from the nominal launch vehicle velocity vector. For each malfunction turn envelope, the analysis must establish the vehicle velocity turn magnitude from the nominal velocity magnitude that corresponds to the velocity vector turn angle envelope.

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