U.S. Coast Guard Statement on Private Boats Approaching Crew Dragon Capsule
Regarding the Pleasurecraft that were Present at the Splashdown this Afternoon
U.S. Coast Guard
The Coast Guard worked closely with NASA and SpaceX to plan the recovery of the Dragon crew in a way that prioritized the safety of the boating public and those involved in the recovery operations.
Mariners were alerted to pending hazardous operations within a specified boundary by a Broadcast Notice to Mariners, issued 29 July.
The establishment of an official safety zone that authorizes the Coast Guard to hold legal authority over boaters in violation of entering the area was not available due to the targeted splashdown location being outside of the navigable waterways of the United States, which in most cases is limited to 12-nautical miles from shore.
A Coast Guard 87-foot patrol boat established a physical presence four hours before the scheduled splashdown to discourage boaters from entering within 10-nautical miles of the NASA-designated splashdown zone, for their safety from potential dangers associated with the operation. A Coast Guard 45-foot response boat was also deployed to the vicinity leading up to the scheduled splashdown.
Additionally, a radio broadcast was issued to mariners two hourse before the scheduled splashdown to remind boaters of the operation and to stay clear.
With limited assets available and with no formal authority to establish zones that would stop boaters from entering the area, numerous boaters ignored the Coast Guard crews’ requests and decided to encroach the area, putting themselves and those involved in the operation in potential danger.
While the Coast Guard has legal authority to board vessels and enforce laws past the 12-mile navigable waterways rule, it would have required a massive undertaking of resources to engage each boat that came into the area and suspend their voyage or otherwise escort them out.
The boating public is often a valuable resource to the Coast Guard, and the spirit of cooperation we share is a relationship built upon 230 years of trust and understanding. The actions of those boaters today were not representative of the average boating community, and they put themselves and others at risk through their actions. This lack of regard for safety is something that the Coast Guard takes very seriously.
A comprehensive review of this operation will be conducted between the Coast Guard, NASA, and SpaceX, and the development of lessons learned will be our next priority moving forward.
11 responses to “U.S. Coast Guard Statement on Private Boats Approaching Crew Dragon Capsule”
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I see Congress tacking on a non-interference and minimum safe distance clause to some part of the US Code for returned spacecraft that are not in danger. You can’t let yahoos like that take advantage of a lack of laws to interfere with spacecraft recovery and endanger themselves. Barring that, Space X can just release a fake BFRC and give any interlopers something to think about.
without a doubt that is coming. some teeth and a cutter or two will do it a 45 boat just is not enough
Yes, you have to wonder what they would do if a Chinese trawler showed up to help “rescue” the astronauts.?
Guess NASA will have to arrange with the USN to have a LSD support the next landing. A tough looking LSD with a couple of Cobras and a few harbor patrol teams should have no trouble discouraging sightseers if the USCG is not up to the task of securing the landing zone.
probably not…just something more then a 45 boat …a cutter with some authority behind it…
Or a Littoral Combat Ship.
Hey, why not? They don’t seem to be good for anything else.
Well the Littoral Combat ship is just a large Coast Guard cutter with a more fancy fire control system and wartime weapons fitted. IMO. Basically a smaller ship than the O H Perry class with about the same equipment and weapon suites fitted.
Drone boat swarms.
It looks like allowing the Dragon2 to land on land using its thrusters as originally planned might have been the safer option.
BTW moving the landing zone to the Great Lakes where the USCG would have “legal authority” more than 12 miles from shore would be a quick fix. The fresh water would probably make recycling the capsule easier.
11 miles off the coast it is, then.