Assignment 05: Flight Termination Name:

System Robarios, John Ericsson I.

Instructor: Date: 27-May-20 Page: 1 of 9

Engr. Noruane Daileg Grade: Issue No. 01

Assignment 05: Flight Termination System

A Flight Termination System (FTS) consists of the components onboard a launch vehicle
that provide the ability to end that vehicle's flight in a controlled manner. The FTS ensures a
safe launch ensuring that the rocket does not fly anywhere where it is not supposed to fly. In
case something goes wrong or the rocket is calculated to touch down outside the safe zone,
the rocket flight must be terminated. To be able to do this reliably it is important to have good
antennas for best reception of the flight termination system. Even with bad antennas safety is
still ensured, because the rocket will terminate its flight if it does not receive a proper signal
from the flight termination ground station. An FTS may comprise different types of equipment
or procedure, including: a self-destruct system for remote initiation, a separation system, a
parachute release system or any other systems or components onboard the launched vehicle
that may be used to terminate flight.  In order to increase flight safety, these kind of systems
must be completely independent. For this reason, an FTS must have its own dedicated
communications datalink. In case of autopilot or communications error, the FTS will therefore
still be capable of terminating the flight. (Navigation, n.d.)
Assignment 05: Flight Termination Name:
System Robarios, John Ericsson I.

Instructor: Date: 27-May-20 Page: 2 of 9

Engr. Noruane Daileg Grade: Issue No. 01

(EMC, n.d.)

There are several aspects in which Flight Termination Systems (FTS) and Autonomous Flight
Termination Systems (AFTS) differ. The key point is that the AFTS is a much more simplified
(reduced) version of the traditional FTS. AFTS is developed and owned by the US
Government. (Valencia, 2019)

To understand further the difference between FTS and AFTS, here’s a list of what the two
system comprise:

Traditional FTS – Safe & Arm

– Ordnance
Flight Systems
• Flight Termination System • Metric Tracking Sources (RCC 324)
– Receiver – GPS
– FTS Logic Box – Telemetry Encoder
– Battery – Telemetry Transmitter
– UHF Antenna – S-band Antenna
– Hybrid Coupler – L-band Antenna
Assignment 05: Flight Termination
System
Instructor:
Engr. Noruane Daileg
– Couplers
– Power Distribution Box
– Vehicle Battery
• Radar Transponder
– C-band Antenna
– Hybrid Coupler
– Transponder
– Power Distribution Box
– Vehicle Battery
Name:
Robarios, John Ericsson I.
Date: 27-May-20 Page: 3 of 9
Grade: Issue No. 01
Ground Systems
• Command Transmitters
• Antennas (Omnis & Directional)
• Amplifiers (10 kW Tubes)
• Telemetry Receivers
• Antennas
• Decoders
• Ground Communications Network
• Radars
• Radar Sites
• Ground Communications Network
• Timing Infrastructure
• Mission Flight Control
• MFCO
• Telemetry Officer
• Certified Displays
Operational Considerations
• Telemetry Formats
• Telemetry Tapes
• Launch Constraints
• Range assets are degrading and/or
being decommissioned
It’s clear that the traditional FTS requires
a variety of different systems and
components whereas in the Autonomous
FTS, it is much more compact.
Autonomous AFTS
Flight Systems
– Metric Tracking Sources (RCC
324)
Assignment 05: Flight Termination Name:
System Robarios, John Ericsson I.

Instructor: Date: 27-May-20 Page: 4 of 9

Engr. Noruane Daileg Grade: Issue No. 01

• GPS
• L-band Antennas
• Coupler
• IMU/INS
• Flight Computer
• Power Distribution Box
• Vehicle Battery
– Flight Termination System
• Autonomous Flight
Termination Unit
• Safe & Arm
• Thrust
termination/Ordnance
Other
- Preflight Testing

AFTS is frequently used today because of Figure 2: Autonomous AFTS

the following advantages:

- Cost reduction due to decreased

need for ground-based assets

- Global coverage (vehicle does

not have to be launched from a
range)

- Increased launch responsiveness

- Boundary limits increase due to

3-5 second gain from not having
MFCO

- Can support multiple vehicles

simultaneously (such as flyback
boosters)

Figure 1: Traditional FTS

Rocket Lab demonstrated the system on the company’s recent 10th Electron
launch in a move that will enable a higher launch cadence and deliver responsive
launch capability 
Huntington Beach, California. 9 December 2019 – Rocket Lab, the global leader in dedicated
small satellite launch, has flown a fully Autonomous Flight Termination System (AFTS) for the
first time on an Electron launch vehicle. The AFTS flown on the company’s most recent
mission, ‘Running Out Of Fingers’, makes Rocket Lab one of only two U.S. launch companies
to fly with an autonomous system.

AFTS is a GPS-aided, computer-controlled system designed to terminate an off-nominal flight,

replacing traditional human-in-the-loop monitoring systems. AFTS is crucial to increasing
launch frequency and providing responsive launch capability, while maintaining the highest
industry safety standards. It reduces the turnaround time between missions and provides
greater schedule control by eliminating reliance on ground-assets and human flight
termination operators.

‘Running Out Of Fingers’ hosted the first fully autonomous system on Electron. The launch
followed four ‘shadow’ flights where the AFTS unit was flown on the vehicle for testing while
traditional ground-based flight termination infrastructure remained in place. With the first fully
autonomous mission now complete, all future Electron missions from Launch Complexes 1 and
2 will fly with the AFTS.

“The AFTS is yet another way Rocket Lab is innovating to increase the pace of launch and
support responsive launch capability for small satellites,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO,
Peter Beck. “As we move to an autonomous system, I’d like to thank the dedicated teams
from White Sands Missile Range and Alaska Aerospace Corporation, who have provided
ground-based flight termination system support for Electron missions since our first launch in
2017. Their support has ensured the safety of every Electron mission and they have
contributed to our record of mission success for customers.” 
Naomi Altman, Rocket Lab’s Avionics Manager and Project Lead for the AFTS program, added
“I’m immensely proud of the team here at Rocket Lab that has made AFTS on Electron a
reality. For AFTS to be part of Electron’s 10th launch was the cherry on top of a monumental
year for the whole team. Reaching this milestone is also testament to the ongoing support of
government agencies and contractors who worked closely with us to bring the AFTS online.”

(Rocket Lab US, n.d.)

NASA Tests Space Tech on UP Aerospace Rocket

NASA’s Flight Opportunities funds flight of space technology on UP Aerospace’s rocket poised
to launch at Spaceport America in New Mexico.

Three NASA technology demonstration payloads launched aboard UP Aerospace’s SpaceLoft

12 mission from Spaceport America in New Mexico on Sept. 12.

The suborbital rocket carried an umbrella-like heat shield called Adaptable Deployable Entry
and Placement Technology (ADEPT). Developed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in
California’s Silicon Valley, ADEPT’s unique design could be used for planetary lander and
sample return missions. The flight tested the heat shield’s deployment sequence and entry
performance.

Another Ames payload called Suborbital Flight Environment Monitor (SFEM-3) measures the
internal environment of suborbital rockets carrying experiments. The system monitored
acceleration, temperature and pressure within the payload bay during flight and could benefit
future suborbital launches. 
The third technology is from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida and is the Autonomous
Flight Termination System (AFTS). While the termination device was not active during launch,
the payload tested hardware and software performance in the high dynamics of suborbital
flight.

The payload flight tests were funded by the Space Technology Mission Directorate’s Flight
Opportunities program, managed at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards,
California. (Williams, 2018)

Flight/Launch Demos:

• Sept. 27, 2005, aircraft flight test near Kennedy Space Center

• Apr. 5, 2006, Two-stage Terrier Orion Sounding Rocket at WSMR

• Mar. 21, 2007, SpaceX Falcon 1 at Reagan Test Site, Kwajalein

• Nov. 8, 2007, F-104 aircraft at Kennedy Space Center SLF

• Sept. 21, 2010, Two-stage Terrier Orion Sounding Rocket at WFF

• Nov. 19, 2013, DoD ORS demonstrated ATK AFTS on Minotaur from WFF

F-104

Sounding Rocket at WSMR

SpaceX Launch Sounding Rocket at WFF

References

EMC, P. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://psemc.com/products/flight-termination-system/

Navigation, U. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.uavnavigation.com/support/kb/general/general-system-info/flight-
termination-system

Rocket Lab US. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rocketlabusa.com/news/updates/rocket-

lab-debuts-fully-autonomous-flight-termination-system/
Valencia, L. (2019). Autonomous Flight Termination Systems (AFTS). Autonomous Flight
Termination Systems (AFTS) (p. 17). NASA KSC.

Williams, L. (2018, September 20). NASA. Retrieved from NASA:

https://www.nasa.gov/centers/armstrong/features/nasa-tests-space-tech-on-up-
aerospace-rocket.html