[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 33 (Thursday, February 17, 2000)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8209-8210]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-3808]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (00-018)]


National Environmental Policy Act; Sounding Rocket Program

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of the final supplemental environmental 
impact statement (FSEIS) for the Sounding Rocket Program (SRP).

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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 FSEIS for continuation of its SRP, which offers approximately 
30 flight opportunities per year to space scientists. The FSEIS 
addresses environmental issues associated with the launch and recovery 
of the sounding rockets and/or associated scientific payloads. The 
purpose of the launches is to support space and earth science research. 
This FSEIS addresses the programmatic changes to the SRP that have 
occurred since the issuance of the 1973 final environmental impact 
statement (FEIS) for the NASA SRP and analyzes the site-specific 
environmental impacts at the three principal U.S. launch sites located 
at: Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, Virginia; Poker Flat 
Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska; and White Sands Missile Range, 
New Mexico.

DATES: NASA will take no final action or reach a final decision on 
continuation of the SRP program and use of Wallops Flight Facility, 
Wallops Island, Virginia, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, and 
Poker Flat Research Range, Alaska before March 20, 2000 or 30 days from 
the date of publication in the Federal Register of the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency's notice of availability of the SRP 
FSEIS, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: The FSEIS may be reviewed at the following locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street SW., 
Washington, DC 20546 (202-358-0167).
    (b) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center/Wallops Flight Facility, 
Public Affairs Office, Wallops Island, VA 23337 (757-824-1579).
    (c) Eastern Shore Public Library, Accomac, VA (757-787-3400).

[[Page 8210]]

    (d) University of Alaska-Fairbanks Library, Fairbanks, AK (907-474-
7224).
    (e) Alamogordo Library, Alamogordo, NM (505-439-4140).
    (f) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).
    (g) NASA, Spaceport USA, Room 2001, John F. Kennedy Space Center, 
FL 32899. Please call Lisa Fowler beforehand at 407-867-2497 so that 
arrangements can be made.

    In addition, the FSEIS may be examined at the following NASA 
locations by contacting the pertinent Freedom of Information Act 
Office:
    (a) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (650-604-
4191).
    (b) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, P.O. Box 273, Edwards Air 
Force Base, CA 93523 (661-258-3449).
    (c) NASA, Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, 21000 Brookpark 
Road, Cleveland, OH 44135 (216-433-2755).
    (d) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301-
286-0730).
    (e) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (281-483-8612).
    (f) NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665 (757-864-
2497).
    (g) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (256-
544-2030).
    (h) NASA, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (228-688-2164).
    Limited copies of the FSEIS are available, on a first request 
basis, by contacting William B. Johnson at the address, telephone 
number, or electronic mail address provided below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William B. Johnson, Code 810, NASA, 
Goddard Space Flight Center, Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops Island, 
Virginia, 23337; telephone 757-824-1099; electronic mail 
([email protected]).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The NASA SRP is a suborbital spaceflight 
program primarily in support of space and earth sciences research 
activities sponsored by NASA. This program also provides applicable 
support to other government agencies as well as international sounding 
rocket groups and scientists. The program is a relatively low-cost, 
quick response effort. These experiments provide a variety of 
information, including high-altitude wind shear and velocity, density 
and temperature or particles in the upper atmosphere, and changes in 
the ionosphere. Sounding rocket payloads also yield valuable data on 
the natural conditions surrounding the Earth, Sun, stars, galaxies, 
nebulas, planets, and other phenomena.
    NASA uses sounding rockets to allow scientists to conduct 
investigations at specified times and altitudes. Sounding rockets fly 
vertical flight trajectories from 48 kilometers (30 miles) to over 
1,290 kilometers (800 miles) in altitude. Sounding rockets provide the 
only means for in situ measurements at altitudes between the maximum 
altitude of balloons (about 48 kilometers (30 miles)) and the minimum 
altitude for satellites (about 160 kilometers (100 miles)). The flight 
normally lasts less than 30 minutes. All of the motors used in the 
program use solid fuel and are relatively small.
    The proposed action and NASA's preferred alternative is the 
continued operation of the NASA SRP, as presently managed. The FSEIS 
focuses on programmatic changes in the NASA SRP that have taken place 
since the original FEIS was issued in 1973 by deleting launch vehicles 
that are no longer used, adding new launch vehicles and systems 
currently being used, and reflecting changes in Federal and State 
environmental statutes and regulations. The FSEIS addresses both the 
overall environmental impacts of the SRP and the site-specific 
environmental impacts at and in the area of the three principal 
domestic sounding rocket sites: Wallops Flight Facility, Wallops 
Island, Virginia; White Sands Missile Range, White Sands, New Mexico; 
and Poker Flat Research Range near Fairbanks, Alaska. NASA investigated 
alternatives to sounding rockets; alternatives to current propellants; 
and alternatives to the launch sites at Wallops Island, Virginia, White 
Sands, New Mexico, and Poker Flat, Alaska. No alternative to the 
sounding rocket could provide the same quality of scientific data. 
Alternative propellants are impractical since they would result in 
decreased performance, generate other pollutants, or present other 
physical dangers. Launching at other than the established U.S. ranges 
on a continual basis is not practical since it would increase adverse 
environmental impacts due to construction activities without realizing 
any operational or environmental advantages.
    Some sounding rocket campaigns are conducted at other U.S. sites 
and at foreign locations. Prior to deciding whether to conduct sounding 
rocket campaigns at sites other than the three specifically addressed 
in the FSEIS, NASA will undertake additional site-specific 
environmental review and documentation, as appropriate.
    Comments on the draft supplemental environmental impact statement 
were solicited from Federal, State and local agencies, organizations, 
and the general public through: (a) Notices published in the Federal 
Register--NASA notice on June 12, 1995 (60 FR 30901), and U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency notice on June 16, 1995 (60 FR 31716); 
and (b) notices in newspapers of general circulation in areas 
potentially subject to environmental impacts. Comments received have 
been addressed in the FSEIS.

Jeffrey E. Sutton,
Associate Administrator for Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 00-3808 Filed 2-16-00; 8:45 am]
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