§ 1214.301 - Definitions.

(a) Payload specialists. Individuals other than NASA astronauts (commanders, pilots, and mission specialists), whose presence is required on board the Space Shuttle to perform specialized functions with respect to operation of one or more payloads or other essential mission activities.

(b) NASA or NASA-related payload. A specific complement of instruments, space equipment, and support hardware, developed by a NASA Program Office or by another party with which NASA has a shared interest, and carried into space to accomplish a mission or discrete activity in space.

(c) Mission. The performance of a coherent set of investigations or operations in space to achieve program goals. A single mission might require more than one flight or more than one mission might be accomplished on a single flight.

(d) Mission manager. The official responsible for the implementation of the payload portion of an STS flight(s).

(e) Mission specialist. A career NASA astronaut trained and skilled in the operation of STS systems related to payload operations and thoroughly familiar with the operational requirements and objectives of the payloads with which the mission specialist will fly. The mission specialist, when designated for a flight, will participate in the planning of the mission and will be responsible for the coordination of overall payload/STS interaction. The mission specialist will direct the allocation of STS and crew resources to the accomplishment of the combined payload objectives during the payload operations phase of the flight in accordance with the approved flight plan.

(f) Investigator Working Group (IWG). A group composed of the Principal Investigators, or their representatives, whose primary purpose is facilitating or coordinating the development and execution of the operational plans of an approved NASA program or reporting the progress thereof.

(g) Payload sponsor. For NASA and NASA-related payloads the payload sponsor is the Associate Administrator of the sponsoring Program Office whose responsibilities are most closely related to the particular scientific or engineering discipline associated with a payload. For all other payloads, the payload sponsor is identified by the Associate Administrator who contracts with the agency or organization, whether foreign or domestic, private-sector or governmental, to fly a payload on the STS.

(h) Unique requirements. The need for a highly specialized or unusual technical or professional background or the need for instrument operations requiring a highly specialized or unusual background that is not likely to be found in the group of mission specialists or cannot be attained in a reasonable training period.