[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 117 (Tuesday, June 18, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41525-41527]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-15348]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (02-075)]


National Environmental Policy Act; Final Environmental Assessment 
for Launch of NASA Routine Payloads on Expendable Launch Vehicles from 
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base 
California

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact.

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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 (CEQ) 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 made a Finding 
of No Significant Impact (FONSI) with respect to the proposed Launch of 
NASA Routine Payloads on Expendable Launch Vehicles from Cape Canaveral 
Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida, and Vandenberg Air Force Base 
(VAFB), California, during the period 2002 through 2012. Spacecraft 
that are designated NASA routine payloads would meet the criteria 
described by a Routine Payload Checklist (RPC) to ensure that the 
spacecraft, their launch and operations, and their decommissioning 
would not present any new or substantial environmental and safety 
concerns. If a candidate mission were to exceed the specific RPC 
criteria, further environmental review would be required. This FONSI 
also includes three individual science missions that meet the RPC 
criteria and are described in the associated Final Environmental 
Assessment (Final EA): the Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) mission, which 
would launch on a Delta II 2425 from CCAFS, Florida, in July 2002, the 
Mercury Surface Space Environment, Geochemistry, and Ranging 
(MESSENGER) mission, which would launch on a Delta II 2925H-9.5 from 
CCAFS in March 2004, and the Deep Impact mission, which would launch on 
a Delta II 2925 from CCAFS in January 2004.

DATES: This action is effective as of June 18, 2002.

ADDRESSES: The Final EA may be reviewed at the locations listed under 
the supplementary information in this notice.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mark R. Dahl, Program Executive, NASA 
Headquarters, Code SM, Washington, DC 20546 or at (202)-358-4800. The 
Final EA is also available in Acrobat[reg] format at http://
spacescience.nasa.gov/admin/pubs/routine--EA/index.htm.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NASA initiated a 30-day public review and 
comment period for the Draft Environmental Assessment for Launch of 
NASA Routine Payloads on Expendable Launch Vehicles from Cape Canaveral 
Air Force Station Florida and Vandenberg Air Force Base California (67 
FR 11518-11519, March 14, 2002). Comments and responses are compiled in 
a new Appendix D of, and text changes were incorporated in the Final EA 
where appropriate. NASA has reviewed the Final EA and has determined 
that it represents an accurate and adequate analysis of the scope and 
level of associated environmental impacts. The Final EA is incorporated 
by reference in this FONSI.
    NASA proposes to launch a variety of scientific missions that are 
designated NASA routine payloads on expendable launch vehicles (ELVs). 
The spacecraft and their associated launches (i.e., missions) would be 
considered to be routine if they would present no new or substantial 
environmental impacts, and their design and characteristics would not 
exceed the specific criteria described by the RPC. Such missions are 
referred to as NASA routine payload spacecraft. Once a sufficiently 
detailed design concept is proposed for a NASA science mission, NASA 
would evaluate the proposed design against the RPC to determine if the 
proposed design is within the definition of a routine payload as 
described in the Final EA. The RPC includes an envelope spacecraft 
description, which includes flight components, materials and associated 
quantities, and flight systems representing a comprehensive bounding 
reference design for routine payload spacecraft. A proposed spacecraft 
that presents equal or lesser values of potentially hazardous materials 
or sources in comparison to the envelope spacecraft description may be 
considered NASA routine payload spacecraft. If the mission were to be 
defined as a routine payload following an evaluation against the 
envelope spacecraft description, this finding would be documented by 
processing a Record of Environmental Consideration (REC) in accordance 
with NASA's procedures and guidelines, citing this Final EA. If the 
proposed mission were to be found to be inconsistent with the NASA 
routine payload categorization, plans would begin for consideration of

[[Page 41526]]

additional environmental documentation.
    Routine payload spacecraft would be placed into Earth orbit or into 
Earth-escape trajectories (i.e., solar orbit) using one of a group of 
ELVs routinely launched from CCAFS, Florida, and VAFB, California. The 
use of these ELVs and launch sites for the launch of the routine 
payload spacecraft has been analyzed and is within the scope of 
existing NEPA documents for operations at these launch facilities. The 
specific ELV and trajectory selected for a particular mission would 
depend on the specific mission objectives and requirements for that 
routine payload mission. Routine payload spacecraft final assembly, 
propellant loading, and checkout of payload systems would be performed 
at the Kennedy Space Center (KSC), Florida, (launch processing center 
for NASA spacecraft to be launched at CCAFS) or VAFB and their 
associated payload processing facilities. The spacecraft would then be 
transported to an existing space launch complex at VAFB or CCAFS where 
it would be integrated with the launch vehicle. Due to varying payload 
weights and mission specific requirements, NASA routine payload 
spacecraft may require different launch vehicles.
    The ELVs proposed for launching the routine payload spacecraft 
represent domestic (U.S.) ELVs that would be suitable for launching the 
routine payload spacecraft, potentially be available during the 2002-
2012 period, have documented environmental impacts, and utilize 
existing launch facilities. The ELVs included in this action are the 
Atlas series, Delta series, Taurus, Athena series, Pegasus XL, and 
Titan II. These launch vehicles would accommodate the desired range of 
payload masses, provide the needed trajectory capabilities, and provide 
highly reliable launch services. Individual ELVs would be carefully 
matched to the launch requirements of each particular routine payload 
spacecraft.
    The launch vehicles selected for summary in the Final EA are the 
Atlas V (largest solids from CCAFS), Delta IV (largest solids from 
VAFB), Delta II 2925 (largest hypergolic propellant load from CCAFS), 
and the Titan II (largest hypergolic propellant load from VAFB). These 
ELVs represent the largest expected impact to the human environment 
associated with the proposed action. For normal launches, the 
environmental impacts would be associated with exhaust emissions from 
the launch vehicles. The primary exhaust emissions produced by the 
solid propellant and first stage include carbon monoxide, hydrochloric 
acid, aluminum oxide in soluble and insoluble forms, carbon dioxide, 
and deluge water mixed with propellant by-products. The primary 
emission products from the liquid engines include carbon dioxide, 
carbon monoxide, water vapor, oxides of nitrogen, and carbon 
particulates. Air impacts will be short-term and not substantial. 
Short-term water quality and noise impacts, as well as short-term 
effects on wetlands, plants, and animals, would occur in the vicinity 
of the launch complex. These short-term impacts are of a nature to be 
self-correcting, and none of these effects would be substantial. There 
would be no impacts on threatened or endangered species or critical 
habitat, cultural resources, wetlands, or floodplains. Launch accident 
scenarios have also been addressed and indicate no potential for 
substantial environmental impact to the human environment. The launch 
of NASA routine payloads on expendable launch vehicles would not 
increase launch rates at CCAFS and VAFB above existing or previously 
approved and documented levels.
    Alternatives to the proposed action that were evaluated include: 
(1) Utilizing a foreign launch vehicle or, (2) NASA would not launch 
spacecraft missions defined as routine payloads (the ``no action'' 
alternative). The nature of environmental impacts, payload processing, 
launch sites, and other related information for foreign launch systems 
is generally not as well known or as well documented as for launches 
from the U. S., and would require additional review and environmental 
documentation. In addition, U.S. Government policy (NASA Policy 
Directive NPD 8610.7) requires that the launch of U.S. Government-
sponsored spacecraft utilize all reasonable sources of U.S. launch 
services. Therefore, foreign launch vehicles were not considered 
reasonable alternatives for the use of routine payload spacecraft. The 
No-Action alternative would mean that NASA would then propose 
spacecraft missions for individualized review under NEPA. Duplicate 
analyses and redundant documentation for missions that would otherwise 
meet the RPC criteria would not present any new information or identify 
any substantially different environmental impacts.
    NASA routine payload spacecraft would follow the NASA guidelines 
regarding orbital debris and minimizing the risk of human casualty for 
uncontrolled reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. None of the NASA 
routine payload missions covered under the Final EA will have 
radioactive materials aboard the spacecraft, except for the possibility 
of very small quantities, limited to the approval authority level of 
the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, Nuclear Flight Safety 
Assurance Manager, used on certain missions typically for 
instrumentation purposes. Consequently, no potential adverse impacts 
from radioactive substances are anticipated. The RPC provides a set of 
questions that must be addressed in determining whether or not a 
proposed future NASA routine payload mission falls within the scope of 
the Final EA and this FONSI. No other individual or cumulative impacts 
of environmental concern have been identified.
    The CONTOUR mission would send a spacecraft to flyby at least two 
short-period comets Encke and Schwassmann-Wachmann 3. Four instruments 
would image and spectrally map portions of the comet nucleus and 
measure the composition of gas and dust particles surrounding the 
comet. The CONTOUR spacecraft would be launched from CCAFS on a Delta 
II 2425 during July 2002. Several Earth gravity-assist flybys would be 
used to shape CONTOUR's trajectory toward the comet encounters. The 
CONTOUR mission meets the RPC criteria and the launch of the Delta II 
2425 launch vehicle is within the previously approved and permitted 
launch rates. The MESSENGER mission would place a spacecraft in orbit 
around the planet Mercury. Eight instruments would study Mercury's 
internal structure, composition, geology, atmosphere, magnetic field, 
and interaction with the solar wind. The MESSENGER spacecraft would be 
launched from CCAFS on a Delta II 2925H-9.5 during March 2004 into a 
direct interplanetary trajectory. The MESSENGER mission meets the RPC 
criteria and the launch of the Delta II 2925H-9.5 launch vehicle is 
within the previously approved and permitted launch rates. The Deep 
Impact mission would investigate the physical and chemical 
characteristics of the comet Temple I by excavating a large crater in 
the comet's surface using a high-velocity copper impactor. The Deep 
Impact spacecraft would carry the impactor and high and medium 
resolution instrument to collect multi-spectral images of the comet's 
surface before and after the impactor's collision. After completion of 
the Temple I encounter, the flyby spacecraft will remain in solar 
orbit. The Deep Impact spacecraft would be launched from CCAFS on a 
Delta II 2925 during January 2004. The Deep Impact mission meets the 
RPC criteria and the launch of the Delta II 2925 launch

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vehicle is within the previously approved and permitted launch rates.
    The level and scope of environmental impacts associated with the 
launch of NASA routine payload spacecraft are well within the envelope 
of impacts that have been addressed in previous FONSIs concerning other 
launch vehicles and spacecraft. NASA routine payload spacecraft would 
not increase launch rates nor utilize launch systems beyond the scope 
of approved programs at VAFB or CCAFS. No NASA routine payload specific 
processing or launch activities have been identified that would require 
new permits and/or mitigation measures beyond those currently in place 
or in coordination at VAFB and CCAFS. No significant new circumstances 
or information relevant to environmental concerns associated with the 
launch vehicle have been identified which would affect the earlier 
findings. As specific spacecraft and missions are fully defined, they 
will be reviewed against the RPC and the Final EA. If NASA determines 
that future payloads have the potential for substantially different 
environmental impacts, further environmental reviews will be conducted 
and documented, as appropriate. On the basis of the Final EA, NASA has 
determined that the environmental impacts associated with the proposed 
action and the specified missions identified as within the scope of the 
Final EA would not individually or cumulatively have a significant 
impact on the quality of the human environment.
    The Final EA may be reviewed at the following locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20546 (202-358-0167).
    (b) Spaceport USA, Room 2001, John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida 
32899. Please call Penny Myers beforehand at 321-867-9280 so that 
arrangements can be made.
    (c) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).
    (d) Vandenberg Air Force Base, Technical Library, Building 7015, 
806 13th Street, Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437.
    The Final EA may also be examined at the following NASA Centers by 
contacting the appropriate Freedom of Information Act Office:
    (e) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, CA 94035 (650-604-
1181).
    (f) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 
93523 (661-258-3689).
    (g) NASA, Glenn Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, 
OH 44135 (216-433-2755).
    (h) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301-
286-6255).
    (i) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (281-483-8612).
    (j) NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 (757-864-
2497).
    (k) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (256-
544-1837).
    (l) NASA, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (228-688-2164).
    A limited number of hard copies of the Final EA are available for 
persons wishing a copy by contacting Mr. Dahl, at the address or 
telephone number indicated herein.

Edward J. Weiler,
Associate Administrator for Space Science.
Ghassem R. Asrar,
Associate Administrator for Earth Science.
[FR Doc. 02-15348 Filed 6-17-02; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-01-P