Human factors in launch flight safety

When developing a new launcher, the main design driver is operational efficiency (i.e. performance, reliability and availability), and cost effectiveness, not safety. Moreover, launch operators focus mission design on successfully placing the payload in orbit and on cost effectiveness. Those conditions are insufficient by themselves to ensure flight safety and may direct design decisions toward solutions that are less safe. The safety challenge of rocket launches typically requires additional dedicated safety equipment on-board and ground facilities to monitor flight for potentially unsafe conditions and to terminate the flight before the rocket can threaten population centers or critical assets. Flight Safety Officers have the ultimate responsibility to terminate the flight of an errant launcher before it endangers people and properties, by sending a command from ground. Flight Safety Officers must assess the situation and take action to terminate flight in a very short time, therefore human factors considerations are fundamental for correct and timely performance of the job. After a general overview of launch safety principles and practices, the paper illustrates the application of human factors considerations for flight safety officers with a discussion of training at the European spaceport in French Guiana.