Appendix A to Part 450 - Collision Analysis Worksheet

Appendix A to Part 450 - Collision Analysis Worksheet

(a) Launch or reentry information. An operator must file the following information:

(1) Mission name. A mnemonic given to the launch vehicle/payload combination identifying the launch mission distinctly from all others;

(2) Launch location. Launch site location in latitude and longitude;

(3) Launch or reentry window. The launch or reentry window opening and closing times in Greenwich Mean Time (referred to as ZULU time) and the Julian dates for each scheduled launch or reentry attempts including primary and secondary launch or reentry dates;

(4) Epoch. The epoch time, in Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), of the expected launch vehicle liftoff time;

(5) Segment number. A segment is defined as a launch vehicle stage or payload after the thrusting portion of its flight has ended. This includes the jettison or deployment of any stage or payload. For each segment, an operator must determine the orbital parameters;

(6) Orbital parameters. An operator must identify the orbital parameters for all objects achieving orbit including the parameters for each segment after thrust ends;

(7) Orbiting objects to evaluate. An operator must identify all orbiting object descriptions including object name, length, width, depth, diameter, and mass;

(8) Time of powered flight and sequence of events. The elapsed time in hours, minutes, and seconds, from liftoff to passivation or disposal. The input data must include the time of powered flight for each stage or jettisoned component measured from liftoff; and

(9) Point of contact. The person or office within an operator's organization that collects, analyzes, and distributes collision avoidance analysis results.

(b) Collision avoidance analysis results transmission medium. An operator must identify the transmission medium, such as voice or email, for receiving results.

(c) Deliverable schedule/need dates. An operator must identify the times before flight, referred to as “L-times,” for which the operator requests a collision avoidance analysis. The final collision avoidance analysis must be used to establish flight commit criteria for a launch.

(d) Trajectory files. Individual position and velocity trajectory files, including:

(1) The position coordinates in the Earth-Fixed Greenwich (EFG) coordinates system measured in kilometers and the EFG velocity components measured in kilometers per second, of each launch vehicle stage or payload starting below 150 km through screening time frame;

(2) Radar cross section values for each individual file;

(3) Position Covariance, if probability of impact analysis option is desired; and

(4) Separate trajectory files identified by valid window time frames, if launch or reentry trajectory changes during launch or reentry window.

(e) Screening. An operator must select spherical, ellipsoidal, or collision probability screening as defined in this paragraph for determining any conjunction:

(1) Spherical screening. Spherical screening centers a sphere on each orbiting object's center-of-mass to determine any conjunction;

(2) Ellipsoidal screening. Ellipsoidal screening utilizes an impact exclusion ellipsoid of revolution centered on the orbiting object's center-of-mass to determine any conjunction. An operator must provide input in the UVW coordinate system in kilometers. The operator must provide delta-U measured in the radial-track direction, delta-V measured in the in-track direction, and delta-W measured in the cross-track direction; or

(3) Probability of Collision. Collision probability is calculated using position and velocity information with covariance in position.