[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 14, Volume 5]
[Revised as of January 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 14CFR1214.305]

[Page 117-118]
 
                     TITLE 14--AERONAUTICS AND SPACE
 
                   CHAPTER V--NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND
                          SPACE ADMINISTRATION
 
PART 1214_SPACE FLIGHT--Table of Contents
 
Subpart 1214.3_Payload Specialists for Space Transportation System (STS) 
                                Missions
 
Sec.  1214.305  Payload specialist responsibilities.

    (a) Relationship with flight crew. The crew commander has overall 
responsibility for crew integration and the safe and successful conduct 
of the mission. With respect to crew and vehicle safety, the commander 
has ultimate responsibility and authority for all assigned crew duties. 
The payload specialist is responsible to the authority of the commander 
and operates in compliance with mission rules and Payload Operation 
Control Center directives. Payload specialists are expected to operate 
as an integral part of the crew and will participate in crew activities 
as specified by the crew commander.
    (b) Operation of payload elements. The payload specialist will be 
responsible for the operation of the assigned payload elements. Onboard 
decisions concerning assigned payload operations will be made by the 
payload specialist. A payload specialist may be designated to resolve 
conflicts between the payload elements and approve such deviation from 
the flight plan as may arise from equipment failures or STS factors. In 
the instance of STS factors, the mission specialist will present the 
available options for the payload-related decisions by the payload 
specialist.
    (c) Operation of STS equipment. The payload specialist will be 
responsible for knowing how to operate certain Obiter systems, such as 
hatches, food,

[[Page 118]]

and hygiene systems, and for proficiency in those normal and emergency 
procedures which are required for safe crew operations, including 
emergency egress and bail out. The responsibility for on-orbit 
management of Orbiter systems and attached payload support systems and 
for extravehicular activity and payload manipulation with the Remote 
Manipulator System will rest with the NASA flight crew. The NASA flight 
crew will operate Orbiter systems and standard payload support systems, 
such as Spacelab and Internal Upper Stage systems. With approval of the 
commander, payload specialists may operate payload support systems which 
have an extensive interface with the payload.