Risk profile derivations for space and missile launch hazards

The space and missile launch ranges in the United States have heretofore assessed the risk to population on the ground from launch accidents in terms only of expected number of casualties. The limitations of this measure of risk in its interpretability and communicability, and in its lack of explication of catastrophic risks, have motivated the development of new methods for deriving complete risk profiles for the three launch hazards: debris, blast, and toxic exposure. The status of this development is described in this article.