StacksVerified U.S. regulatory reference

14 CFR §1214.701

Verified against eCFR.gov as of June 20, 2026View official text on eCFR.gov ↗
  1. (a)The flight crew consists of the NASA Commander, astronaut crew members, and [any] other persons aboard the spacecraft.
  2. (b)A mission is the period including the flight-phases from launch to landing on the surface of the Earth—a single round trip. (In the case of a forced landing, the NASA Commander's authority continues until a competent authority takes over the responsibility for the persons and property aboard).
  3. (c)The flight-phases consist of launch, in orbit/transit, extraterrestrial mission, deorbit, entry, and landing, and post-landing back on Earth.
  4. (d)A payload is a specific complement of instruments, space equipment, and support hardware/software carried into space to accomplish a scientific mission or discrete activity.