§ 1214.906 - When will my payload be scheduled to fly?

(a) NASA shall not be obligated to perform any standard or optional services, including flight scheduling and placement of the payload on the STS, if the terms of the signed LSA have not been met.

(b) How does the flight queue work? Tentative flight assignments of payloads shall be made on a rotation basis using the rotation sequence of Class I, II, I, III, I, IV, I, II, etc. (refer to § 1214.902(d)). Rotation is maintained in a continuing sequence from mission to mission. Payloads must meet all other mission requirements to be assigned to the available space. If, at the time of a tentative flight assignment, there are no payloads in the current class of the continuing rotation that meet all the mission requirements, payloads of the next class in the rotation sequence shall be considered until a payload meeting the requirements is found available.

(c) Are there reasons my payload would not be assigned to an available flight? Payloads shall be assigned on the basis of their positions in the flight assignment queue within each class with the following exceptions:

(1) If the available flight does not meet the payload's requirements as defined in their signed PAR and LSA, the payload shall not be assigned to the flight but shall retain its position in the flight assignment queue until a suitable flight becomes available.

(2) If the “Two-in-Twenty” rule applies to a payload, that payload shall not be assigned to the flight, but shall retain its position in the flight assignment queue (refer to § 1214.902 (k)).

(d) Once a payload has been given a tentative flight assignment, it shall not be removed from a flight as a result of another SSCP participants' subsequent signing of a LSA.

(e) NASA may reschedule a payload tentatively assigned to a flight as a result of other Shuttle operational considerations. Should this be necessary, rescheduling shall be done on a last-on, first-off basis.

(f) Payloads being re-flown pursuant to § 1214.907 and payloads rescheduled by NASA after tentative flight assignment shall have flight assignment priority, in that order, on subsequent flights over all other payloads including those already assigned to other flights.

(g) NASA shall determine the date for payload delivery to the launch site. Payment of launch fees, as defined in the signed LSA, is required before the payload delivery to launch site.