Maritime Compliance

We offer an all-inclusive range of U.S. Coast Guard compliance services for aerospace companies operating in the maritime domain.

Enhancing Your Operations

We help companies operating in the offshore space transportation sector comply with the regulations and requirements set forth by the USCG. These services are designed to ensure that companies operating in this industry meet the necessary safety, security, and operational standards established by the USCG.

The Coast Guard plays a crucial role in regulating and overseeing maritime activities in U.S. waters, including offshore operations related to spaceflight.

Our mission is to assist aerospace companies in understanding, implementing, and maintaining the necessary standards and protocols required by regulatory authorities.

OUR Services:

Our U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) compliance services for the offshore space transportation industry include:

  • We can help you understand and interpret the USCG's complex regulations and requirements on offshore space transportation.

  • We can conduct thorough assessments of your operations, systems, and procedures to identify any non-compliance issues and provide recommendations for improvement.

  • We can develop the necessary documentation, manuals, and reports required by the USCG, such as safety management plans, emergency response plans, incident reporting, and record-keeping.

  • We can conduct inspections to ensure your vessels, facilities, equipment, and operations meet the USCG's safety, security, and environmental standards and requirements.

  • We can provide training programs and workshops to educate your team on USCG regulations, safety procedures, emergency response protocols, and best practices for offshore space transportation.

  • We can establish processes for ongoing compliance monitoring, including regular audits, reviews, and updates to ensure that your company maintains compliance with evolving USCG regulations.

We assist aerospace companies in understanding, implementing, and maintaining the necessary standards and protocols required by regulatory authorities.

DESIGN BASIS AGREEMENT

OSL has years of experience in the Coast Guard and commercial sectors, ensuring that offshore spaceflight systems and their operations are safe and secure.

Developing an offshore spaceflight program is no easy task. The vessels utilized are novel, not specifically covered by current USCG regulations, and will require a Design Basis Agreement (DBA). The DBA serves as a standards framework for the design, plan review, inspection, and certification of vessels used in offshore spaceflight operations.

Through the DBA process, the Coast Guard will evaluate alternate arrangements or novel design proposals to ensure that the arrangement, fitting, appliance, apparatus, equipment, calculation, information, or test provides a level of safety equivalent to that established by applicable regulatory standards.

To assist your company with the DBA application submission, OSL will conduct a Regulatory Analysis and HAZID/Risk Assessments for the vessels used in your launch or recovery operation.

The DBA application submission must include a:

  • Introduction of the vessel, including its intended operations and an overview of the design features, vessel particulars, general arrangement, and a full list of any certifications, equivalents, or exemptions that may be applicable in the design of the vessel.

  • A matrix, organized by system and subsystem, which provides sufficient detail to identify compliance or deviation from the applicable regulatory requirements.

  • All hazards that may affect the vessel due to offshore spaceflight operations are to be identified with the implementation of effective risk control options. Additionally, a hazard analysis and risk assessment must be completed for each proposed element where a deviation from regulatory standards occurs, along with the risk mitigation measures necessary to provide the equivalent level of safety provided by regulatory requirements

NAVIGATION SAFETY RISK ASSESSMENT

14 CFR Chapter III mandates that commercial launch operators coordinate directly with the U.S. Coast Guard to ensure public health and safety protection prior to any FAA-licensed launch or reentry activity that affects or overflies navigable waters.

The Coast Guard is responsible for protecting maritime waterways to ensure safe and enjoyable use for everyone who utilizes the marine transportation system. As space launch and reentry activities may pose a risk to navigation and public safety, it is crucial to conduct a Navigation Safety Risk Assessment (NSRA) to identify potential hazards and risks associated with offshore spaceflight.

OSL will complete an NSRA to evaluate the magnitude of the risks associated with the hazards of your offshore spaceflight operation and recommend effective control measures that can be used to mitigate those risks.

The NSRA is a comprehensive and organized method used to identify potential hazards to navigation and the possible consequences that may arise from a new offshore spaceport and related space support systems. The NSRA is led by the launch or reentry site operator and assesses the level of risk posed by the identified hazards. It also determines and evaluates the efficiency of control measures that can be implemented to reduce the risks.

After conducting an NSRA, Coast Guard operational commanders will decide if the activity requires the Coast Guard to issue or enforce one or more of the following:

  • Broadcast Notice to Mariners,

  • Limited Access Areas (Safety Zones or Security Zones as allowed by Coast Guard authorities),

  • Deployment of patrol assets.

CERTIFICATES AND DOCUMENTS

Let us write your plans and manuals. We write technical documents that adhere to all safety, security, and environmental compliance standards established through regulation or internal protocols.

We provide professional technical writing services that guarantee accuracy and compliance with industry standards for your operation's documents. We specialize in simplifying complex technical concepts into clear and concise language, making your information easily understandable to a wider audience.

Below is a list of some of the certificates and documents that may be required for your operation.

  • Certificate of Inspection

  • Class Certificate

  • Certificate of Documentation

  • Document of Compliance

  • Safety Management Certificate

  • Safety Management System Manual

  • Operations Manual

  • Non-Tank Vessel Response Plan

  • Vessel General Permit

  • Ballast Water Management Plan

  • Waste Management Plan

  • Vessel Security Plan

  • Facility Security Plan

  • Fuel Transfer Procedures