[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 128 (Thursday, July 3, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36081-36083]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-17405]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 97-091]


National Environmental Policy Act; X-33 Advanced Technology 
Demonstrator Vehicle Program

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the draft environmental impact 
statement (DEIS) for the X-33 Advanced Technology Demonstrator Vehicle 
program.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), as amended (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on 
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural 
Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508), and NASA policy and 
procedures (14 CFR part 1216 subpart 1216.3), NASA has prepared and 
issued a DEIS for Phase II of the X-33 Program, which involves the 
development and demonstration of the X-33 test vehicle. The DEIS 
addresses environmental issues associated with the preparation of the 
flight operations (launch) and landing sites and testing of 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 (RLVs).
    The reasonable alternative launch sites are located within Edwards 
Air Force Base (AFB) near Lancaster, California.
    Reasonable alternative landing sites for segments of the flight 
test activities are located at Silurian Lake, near Baker, California; 
China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center, near Ridgecrest, California; 
Dugway Proving Grounds, near Tooele, Utah; Grant County Airport, Moses 
Lake, Washington; and Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Montana. NASA is the 
lead agency in the preparation of the environmental impact statement. 
Components of the U.S. Department of Defense; the U.S.

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Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management; and the U.S. 
Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration are 
acting as cooperating agencies.

DATES: Comments on the DEIS must be submitted in writing and received 
by NASA no later than August 18, 1997 or 45 days from the date of 
publication in the Federal Register of the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency's notice of availability of the X-33 DEIS, whichever 
is later.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Dr. Rebecca C. 
McCaleb, NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, AE01/Building 4201, 
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812. In addition, written comments 
may be sent to Dr. McCaleb electronically at ([email protected]) or 
by facsimile at 205-544-9259. The DEIS may be reviewed 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) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, Library, Building 4800, Room 
2149, Edwards AFB, CA 93523.
(d) NASA,Spaceport USA, Room 2001, John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL 
32899. Please call Lisa Fowler beforehand at 407-867-2468 so that 
arrangements can be made.
(e) Kern County Library, Boron Branch, 27070 Highway 5, Boron, CA 
93516.
(f) Kern County Library, Ridgecrest Branch, 131 East Las Flores Street, 
Ridgecrest, CA 93555.
(g) Los Angeles County Library, Lancaster Branch, 1150 West Avenue J, 
Lancaster, CA 93524.
(h) Palmdale City Library, 700 East Palmdale Boulevard, Palmdale, CA 
93550.
(i) San Bernadino County Library, Barstow Branch, 304 East Buena Vista, 
Barstow, CA 92311.
(j) Great Falls Public Library, 301 2nd Avenue North, Great Falls, MT 
59401.
(k) Moses Lake Library, 418 East 5th Street, Moses Lake, WA 98837.
(l) Dugway Proving Grounds Library, 5124 Kisstler Avenue, Dugway, UT 
84022.
(m) Tooele Library, 47 East Vine Street, Tooele, UT 84074.
(n) Salt Lake City Library, 209 East 500 South, Business/Science 
Department, Salt Lake City, UT 84111.

    In addition, the DEIS may be examined at the following NASA 
locations by contacting the pertinent Freedom of Information Act 
Office:

(o) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (415-604-4190).
(p) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301-286-
0730).
(q) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA Resident Office, 4800 Oak Grove 
Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).
(r) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (713-483-8612).
(s) NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665 (757-864-2497).
(t) NASA, Lewis Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 
44135 (216-433-2222).
(u) NASA, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (601-688-2164).

    The DEIS can be found and accessed at the following internet 
address: http://eemo.msfc.nasa.gov/eemo/x33__eis. Limited copies of the 
DEIS are available, on a first request basis, by contacting Dr. Rebecca 
McCaleb at the address indicated above or Dr. Dominic Amatore by 
telephone at the number provided below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Dominic A. Amatore, Deputy 
Director, Public Affairs Office, Code CA01, Marshall Space Flight 
Center, AL 35812, 205-544-6533.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The X-33 test vehicle is planned as an 
approximately one-half scale reusable spaceplane. The vehicle would 
launch vertically and 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 launch and land as a single 
unit.
    The flight test plan to meet the X-33 program objectives optimally 
involves flights of approximately 160, 720, and 1,530 kilometers (100, 
450, and 950 miles). During the landing sequence, the spaceplane would 
be unpowered. 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 test 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 would 
be conducted in three stages, with all launches occurring from the same 
launch site. The three stages would involve the incremental increase 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 speeds of 
March 4, 12, and 15, respectively. After each test flight, the X-33 
would be ferried back to the flight operations 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 planned for a combined 
total of 15 flights.
    Reasonable alternatives considered for this proposed action 
include:

--Flight operations (launch) sites:
(a) Edwards Air Force Base, California, Space Port 2000 site, and
(b) Edwards Air Force Base, California, Haystack Butte site;
--Short-range landing sites:
(a) Armitage Airfield, China Lake Naval Air Warfare Center, California, 
and
(b) Silurian Lake, a dry lake bed, north of Baker, California;
--Mid-range landing sites:
Michael Army Air Field, Dugway Proving Ground, Utah;
--Long-range landing sites (may serve as an alternative mid-range 
landing site):
(a) Malmstrom Air Force Base, Great Falls Montana, and
(b) Grant County Airport, Moses Lake, Washington; and,--``No Action.'' 
The ``No Action'' alternative (i.e., absence of the X-33 Program) would 
mean that the RLV Program, as planned, could not proceed.

    The DEIS considers the potential environmental impacts associated 
with the test program and related construction/modification of 
facilities. Areas of focus include, but are not necessarily limited to: 
noise and sonic booms; flight safety; surface transportation impacts; 
effects on airspace and air traffic; wildlife and threatened and 
endangered species; and cultural resources.
    Public information meetings will be held at the following dates, 
times, and locations:

(a) Monday, July 7, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; Washington, State National Guard 
Armory, 6500 32nd Avenue, N.E., Moses Lake, Washington 98837.
(b) Tuesday, July 8, 1997; 6:00 p.m.; Great Falls High School, 1900 
Second Avenue, South, Great Falls, Montana 59405.
(c) Wednesday, July 9, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; Social Rehabilitative Services 
Auditorium, 111 Sanders Avenue, Helena, Montana 59601.
(d) Thursday, July 10, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; University of Idaho/Idaho State 
University, 1776 Science Center Drive, Idaho Falls, Idaho 83402.

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(e) Monday, July 14, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; US Army Dugway Proving Grounds, 
Old Post Headquarters, Building 5450, Command Conference Room, Dugway, 
Utah 84022.
(f) Tuesday, July 15, 1997; 6:00 p.m.; Salt Lake City Public Library, 
Main Library Lecture Hall, 209 East 500 South, Salt Lake City, Utah 
84111.
(g) Wednesday, July 16, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; Tooele Senior Center, 59 East 
Vine Street, Tooele, Utah 84074.
(h) Monday, July 21, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; Lancaster High School, 44701 32nd 
Street West, Lancaster, California 93536.
(i) Tuesday, July 22, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; Boron High School, 26831 
Prospect Street, Boron, California 93516.
(j) Wednesday, July 23, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; Burroughs High School, 500 
East French Street, Ridgecrest, California 93555.
(k) Thursday, July 24, 1997; 7:00 p.m.; Baker Senior Citizen Center, 
73730 Baker Blvd., Baker, California 92309.
Benita A. Cooper,
Associate Administrator for Management Systems and Facilities.
[FR Doc. 97-17405 Filed 7-2-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-01-M