The Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) has issued multiple Notice to
Airmen (NOTAMS) Temporary Flight Restrictions around
Cape Canaveral, Fla., through Wednesday.
The NOTAMS are in preparation
for NASA’s historic manned space flight to the International
Space Station aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. This is the first launch of astronauts to Earth orbit on an American-built
spacecraft from American soil since 2011.
“The FAA’s role is to ensure the
safety of the airspace by prohibiting all aircraft
operations within 30 nautical miles of NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
during the reported timeframe unless the operation
is exempted,” the agency said on Tuesday. “There are three
types of NOTAMs: airspace, to close the airspace near the
launch; flow, to provide route guidance to aviation operators; and
security, to implement security measures for aircraft
and Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in the area."
Aircraft operations involving UAS,
flight training, aerobatic, glider, seaplane, parachute,
ultralight, hang gliding, balloon, agriculture/crop dusting
and more are prohibited.
Pilots who do not comply with
the requirements, special instructions or procedures in the
NOTAM may be intercepted, detained by law enforcement, and subjected
to any of the following additional actions:
- Civil penalties and the suspension or revocation of airmen certificates; or
- Criminal charges, including charges under Title 49 of the United States Code, Section 46307; or
- The U.S. Government may use deadly force against the airborne aircraft, if it is determined that the aircraft poses an imminent security threat.
