[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 195 (Monday, October 7, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52467-52469]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-25643]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 96-118]


National Environmental Policy Act; X-33 Program: Vehicle Design 
and Flight Demonstration

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement 
(EIS) and conduct scoping for the development and testing of the X-33 
vehicle.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4231 et seq.), the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Part 1500-1508), and NASA policy and 
procedures (14 CFR Part 1216 Subpart 1216.3), NASA intends to prepare 
an EIS for Phase II of the X-33 Program (hereinafter referred to as the 
``Program''), which would involve development and demonstration of the 
X-33 test vehicle. The EIS will address environmental issues associated 
with the fabrication, assembly, testing, and preparation of the flight 
operations and landing sites associated with the X-33 technology 
demonstrator spaceplane. The purpose of the proposed test program is to 
demonstrate the feasibility of technology which could result in 
commercially viable Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLV's) with certain 
aircraft-like operational characteristics. The proposed Phase II of the 
Program would involve final design, assembly and testing the X-33 
vehicle by the year 2000.
    Flight operations and landing site alternatives are under 
consideration to satisfy flight testing requirements. The flight test 
demonstration program would require short-range, mid-range, and long-
range landing sites remote from the flight operations (i.e.,  vehicle 
takeoff) site at distances of approximately 160, 640, and 1,360 
kilometers (km) (100, 400, and 850 miles (mi)) respectively. The 
reasonable alternative sites for the proposed flight operations are 
located within Edwards Air Force Base (EAFB) near Lancaster, 
California. Alternative landing sites for the flight test activities 
are being considered in the states of California, Utah, Montana, and 
Washington.
    NASA is the lead agency in the preparation of the EIS. It is 
anticipated that components of the U.S. Department of Defense, the 
Bureau of Land Management, and the Federal Aviation Administration will 
act as cooperating agencies.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 29, 1996, to assure full consideration during the scoping 
process.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be addressed to Dr. Rebecca C. McCaleb, 
Director, Environmental Engineering and Management Office, Code AE01,

[[Page 52468]]

Marshall Space Flight Centers, Alabama 35812. In addition, comments may 
be sent to Dr. McCaleb electronically at ([email protected]) or by 
facsimile at 205-544-8259. Information repositories will be maintained 
at the following locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street SW, 
Washington, DC 20546.
    (b) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Library, Building 4200, 
Huntsville, AL 35812.
    (c) Kern County Library, Boron Branch, 27070 Highway 5, Boron, CA 
93516.
    (d) Kern County Library, Ridgecrest Branch, 131 East Las Flores 
Street, Ridgecrest, CA 93555.
    (e) Los Angeles County Library, Lancaster Branch, 1150 West Avenue 
J, Lancaster, CA 93524.
    (f) Palmdale City Library, 700 East Palmdale Boulevard, Palmdale, 
CA 93550.
    (g) San Bernadino County Library, Barstow Branch, 304 East Buena 
Vista, Barstow, CA 92311.
    (h) Great Falls Public Library, 301 2nd Avenue North, Great Falls, 
MT 59401.
    (i) Moses Lake Library, 418 East 5th Street, Moses Lake, WA 98837.
    (j) Dugway Proving Grounds Library, 5124 Kisstler Avenue, Dugway, 
UT 84022.
    (k) Tooele Library, 47 East Vine Street, Tooele, UT 84074.
    (l) Salt Lake City Library, 209 East 500 South, Business/Science 
Department, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT; Dr. Dominic A. Amatore, Deputy 
Director, Public Affairs Office, Code CA01, Marshall Space Flight 
Center, AL 35812, 205-544-6533. His office will ensure that the 
appropriate source of information is provided.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The key objectives of the X-33 Design and 
Flight Demonstration Program include:

--Reduce business and technical risks to privately financed development 
and operation of a next generation space transportation system through 
ground and flight tests of a spaceplane technology demonstrator.
--Ensure that the X-33 design and major components are usable and 
scaleable to a full scale, single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) RLV
--Demonstrate ``aircraft like'' operations such as reusability and 
affordability.
--Demonstrate autonomous capability (i.e., vehicle does not have a 
pilot or onboard flight crew but is controlled by onboard flight 
management system; vehicle is tracked by telemetry and on systems; and 
human intervention capability to modify trajectory is maintained at the 
flight operations site) from takeoff to landing.
--Verify operability and performance in ``real world'' environments.

    The X-33 test vehicle is planned as an approximately one-half scale 
reusable spaceplane. The vehicle would takeoff in a vertical position 
and use conventional runways to land horizontally. The X-33 vehicle 
would consist of a lifting body airframe with two cryogenic liquid 
propellant tanks (liquid hydrogen (LH2) and liquid oxygen (LOX)) placed 
within the aeroshell, and would use two linear aerospike main engines. 
Water would be the primary product of the LOX/LH2 combustion. The 
entire spaceplane (with all fuel tanks and engines) would takeoff and 
land as a single unit. The flight profile includes takeoff with engine 
burn until flight speed and altitude objectives are reached; at that 
point, the engines would cut off.
    The flight test plan to meet the Program objectives would involve 
flights of approximately 160, 640, and 1,360 km (100, 400, and 850 mi). 
During the landing sequence, the spaceplane would glide to the landing 
site in an unpowered manner. Flight tests would involve speeds of up to 
Mach 15 and altitudes up to approximately 75,800 meters (250,000 feet). 
None of the X-33 tests flights would achieve Earth orbit. Ground 
operations and servicing (e.g., checkout, refueling, etc.) would be 
conducted with ``aircraft like'' procedures and systems.
    The test flight program is planned to be conducted in three stages, 
with all takeoffs occurring from the same flight operations site. The 
three stages would involve the incremental expansion of distance and 
speed referred to as the ``flight envelope expansion'' which allows the 
development program to minimize risk while achieving test objectives. 
The three stage approach would necessitate short-range, mid-range, and 
long-range landing sites to achieve maximum speeds of Mach 4, 12, and 
15, respectively. After each test flight, the X-33 would be ferried 
back to the takeoff site by a Boeing 747 aircraft in a manner similar 
to that used for the transport of Space Shuttle orbiters. The test 
program is currently baselined for a combined total of 15 flights.
    Alternatives to be considered for this proposal include, but are 
not limited to:

--Alternative flight operations (takeoff) sites
--Short-range landing sites
--Mid-range landing sites
--Long-range landing sites
--The ``no action'' alternative which defines the baseline conditions 
that would prevail in the absence of the X-33 test program.
    Three locations within EAFB are the reasonable alternatives being 
considered for the flight operations site. Reasonable short-range 
landing sites being considered are Silurian Lake, a dry lake bed, 
northeast of Barstow, California; and China Lake Naval Weapons Center, 
near Ridgecrest, California. The baseline alternative for the mid-range 
landing site is Michael Army Air Field at Dugway proving Grounds, Utah. 
Reasonable long-range landing sites being considered are Port of Moses 
Lake, Washington; and Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls, 
Montana. Analyses conducted to date indicate that other potential 
flight operations and landing sites are inadequate to meet the 
requirements of the Program. The ``no action'' alternative (i.e., 
absence of the X-33 Program) would mean that the RLV Program, as 
planned, could not proceed, resulting in continued reliance on existing 
U.S. Government owned or controlled space launch vehicles, such as the 
Space Shuttle and expendable launch vehicles; and/or space launch 
vehicles owned and operated by foreign governments.
    The EIS will consider the potential environmental impacts 
associated with the test program and related construction and 
modification of facilities. An initial assessment of potential 
environmental impacts indicates that the EIS should focus on sonic 
booms; potential effects on cultural resources, and threatened and 
endangered species; on-range and off-range flight test paths; and 
environmental impacts at the reasonable flight operations and landing 
site alternatives.
    Public scoping meetings will be held at the following dates and 
locations:
    (a) Monday, October 21, 1996; 7:00 p.m. Social Rehabilitative 
Services Auditorium, Sanders Avenue, Helena, MT 59601.
    (b) Tuesday, October 22, 1996: 6:00 p.m. Great Falls High School, 
1900 Second Avenue, South, Great Falls, MT 59405.
    (c) Thursday, October 24, 1996; 7:00 p.m. Washington State National 
Guard Armory, 6500 32nd Avenue, N.E., Moses Lake, WA 98837.
    (d) Monday, October 28, 1996; 7:00 p.m. Dugway Post Theater, US 
Army Dugway proving Grounds, Dugway, UT 84022.
    (e) Tuesday, October 29, 1996; 7:00 p.m. Tooele Senior Center, 59 
East Vine Street, Tooele, UT 84074.

[[Page 52469]]

    (f) Wednesday, October 30, 1996; 7:00 p.m. Quality Inn Airport, 
5575 West Amelia Earhart Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84116.
    (g) Tuesday, November 12, 1996; 7:00 p.m. Best Western Antelope 
Valley Inn, 44055 North Sierra Highway, Lancaster, CA 93534.
    (h) Wednesday, November 13, 1996; 7:00 p.m. Carriage Inn, 901 North 
China Lake Boulevard, Ridgecrest, CA 93555.
    (i) Thursday, November 14, 1996; 7:00 p.m. West Boron Elementary 
School, 12300 Del Oro, Boron, CA 93516.
    (j) Saturday, November 16, 1996; 10:00 a.m. Holiday Inn, 1511 East 
Main Street, Barstow, CA 92311.
    Written public input and comments on environmental impacts 
associated with the proposed Program, including, but not limited to, 
flight operations and landing site options, as well as related 
environmental concerns, are hereby solicited.

    Dated: October 1, 1996.
Benita A. Cooper,
Associate Administrator for Management Systems and Facilities.
[FR Doc. 96-25643 Filed 10-4-96; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-10-M