scope:

Purpose

a. This directive defines the NASA Payload Safety Program.

b. The purpose of the NASA Payload Safety Program is to safeguard people and assets (including flight hardware and facilities) from hazards associated with NASA payloads (including those at facilities not controlled by NASA) during testing, processing, integration to the launch vehicle components, launch (up to payload separation from the launch vehicle) and planned recovery of payload and samples.

Note 1: Additional requirements for restricted sample return are in NPR 8020.12, Planetary Protection Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions.

Note 2: Hazardous operations at NASA centers and facilities are governed by center-level policy, programs, and procedures and NPR 8715.1, NASA Occupational Safety and Health Programs.

Applicability

a. This directive is applicable to NASA Headquarters and NASA Centers, including Component Facilities, and Technical and Service Support Centers. This language applies to Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) (a Federally-Funded Research and Development Center), other contractors, recipients of grants, cooperative agreements, and other agreements only to the extent specified or referenced in the applicable contracts, grants, or agreements.

b. This NPR is applicable to NASA projects involving design, fabrication, testing, integration, processing, launch, and recovery of payloads and the design of ground support equipment (GSE) used to support payload-related operations during prelaunch operations and during recovery.

c. In this directive, all mandatory actions (i.e., requirements) are denoted by statements containing the term "shall." The terms: "may" denotes a discretionary privilege or permission, "can" denotes statements of possibility or capability, "should" denotes a good practice and is recommended, but not required, "will" denotes expected outcome, and "are/is" denotes descriptive material.

d. In this directive, all document citations are assumed to be the latest version unless otherwise noted.

e. In this directive, "payload" refers to the project payload, associated GSE, auxiliary payload, and payload provided upper stages.

f. In this directive, "Center Director" refers to the Center Directors, and to the directors of Component Facilities and Technical and Service Support Centers.