[Federal Register Volume 67, Number 237 (Tuesday, December 10, 2002)]
[Notices]
[Pages 75863-75864]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 02-31127]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (02-147)]


National Environmental Policy Act; Mars Exploration Rover-2003 
Project

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of final environmental impact statement 
(FEIS) for implementation of the Mars Exploration Rover (MER)-2003 
Project.

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SUMMARY: Under 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 prepared a FEIS for the MER-2003 
project. In the FEIS, NASA addresses the potential environmental 
impacts associated with continuing the preparations for and 
implementing the MER-2003 project. The purpose of the MER-2003 project 
is to explore the surface of Mars.
    The proposed action and preferred alternative for implementing the 
MER-2003 project includes two missions, each involving identical rover 
spacecraft. NASA proposes to launch the first mission from Cape 
Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida, in May or June 2003, on a 
Delta II 7925, and the second mission from CCAFS in June or July 2003, 
on a Delta II 7925 Heavy. Each rover would include two small 
radioactive sources for instrument calibration and would use up to 11 
radioisotope heater units (RHU) for thermal control.
    NASA published a notice of availability (NOA) of the draft EIS 
(DEIS) for the MER-2003 Project (67 FR 48490, July 24, 2002) and mailed 
copies to 79 Federal, State and local agencies, organizations, and 
individuals. In addition, NASA made the DEIS available in electronic 
format on its website. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 
subsequently published its NOA (67 FR 48894, July 26, 2002). Comments 
received during the 45-day comment period ending September 9, 2002, 
have been addressed in the FEIS.

DATES: NASA will take no final action on the proposed MER-2003 missions 
on or before January 9, 2003, or 30 days from the date of publication 
in the Federal Register of the EPA notice of availability of the MER-
2003 project FEIS, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for addresses for 
reviewing the FEIS and obtaining copies of the record of decision.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: David Lavery, Office of Space Science, 
Mail Code SM, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001, telephone 
202-358-4800, or electronic mail [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed MER-2003 project is part of 
NASA's continuing efforts to: (1) Understand the atmosphere, surface, 
and interior of Mars; (2) determine if life exists or has ever existed 
on Mars; (3) and develop an understanding of Mars in support of 
possible future human exploration. The aim of the MER-2003 project is 
to determine the aqueous, climactic, and geologic history of two high 
priority sites on Mars. In the FEIS, NASA considered and analyzed the 
environmental impacts of the proposed action and the no action 
alternative. The proposed action, which is the preferred alternative, 
consists of continuing preparations for and implementing the MER-2003 
project. The proposed action would include two missions that would 
continue intensive studies of two Martian sites via identical rover 
spacecraft. Operation of the rovers and their science instruments would 
also benefit planning and design of future missions by: (1) 
Demonstrating the capabilities and technologies for long-range 
reconnaissance by mobile science platforms; (2) demonstrating complex 
science operations through the simultaneous use of multiple mobile 
laboratories; and (3) validating the standards, protocols, and 
capabilities of the international Mars communications infrastructure.
    The first mission (MER-A) would be launched on a Delta II 7925 from 
CCAFS in May or June 2003. The second mission (MER-B) would be launched 
on a Delta II 7925 Heavy from CCAFS in June or July 2003. Opportunities 
to visit Mars occur every 26 months, but not all opportunities are the 
same from the point of view of launch vehicle capability. The 2003 
launch opportunity represents the most favorable opportunity for a 
surface mission to Mars in decades. Programmatic issues (e.g., changes 
in NASA priorities or

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unforeseen circumstances), however, could necessitate modification to 
the mission objectives and timing. Such modifications could result in 
the need to launch one mission in 2003 and a second mission at a later 
date, or not at all. Depending upon the significance of any new 
information and whether any changes in the project are substantial, 
NASA will consider preparing additional environmental documentation in 
accordance with CEQ and NASA procedures.
    For the MER-2003 missions, the potentially affected environment for 
normal launches includes the area at and in the vicinity of the launch 
site, CCAFS in Florida. The environmental impacts of normal launches of 
the two missions for the proposed action would be associated 
principally with the exhaust emissions from each of the Delta II launch 
vehicles. These effects would include: (1) Short-term impacts on air 
quality within the exhaust cloud and near the launch pads and (2) the 
potential for acidic deposition on the vegetation and surface water 
bodies at and near the launch complex, particularly if rain occurs 
shortly after launch.
    Potential launch accidents could result in the release of some of 
the radioactive material on board the rover. Each rover would employ 
two instruments that use small quantities of cobalt-57 (not exceeding 
350 millicuries) and curium-244 (not exceeding 50 millicuries) as 
instrument sources. Each rover would have up to 11 RHUs that use 
plutonium dioxide to provide heat to the electronics and batteries on 
board the rover. The radioisotope inventory of 11 RHUs would total 
approximately 365 curies of plutonium.
    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in cooperation with NASA, has 
performed a risk assessment of potential accidents for the MER-2003 
project. This assessment used a methodology refined through 
applications to the Galileo, Mars Pathfinder, and Cassini missions and 
incorporates results of safety tests on the RHUs and an evaluation of 
the January 17, 1997, Delta II accident at CCAFS. DOE's risk assessment 
for this project indicates that in the event of a launch accident the 
expected impacts of released radioactive material at and in the 
vicinity of the launch area, and on a global basis, would be small.

FEIS Review Copies

    The FEIS may be reviewed during normal business hours at the 
following locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20546.
    (b) Spaceport U.S.A., Room 2001, John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL 
32899. Please call Lisa Fowler at 321-867-2201 so that arrangements can 
be made.
    (c) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).
    In addition, the FEIS may be examined at the following NASA Centers 
by contacting the Freedom of Information Act Office at the respective 
Center:
    (d) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (650-604-
1181).
    (e) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 
93523 (661-276-2704).
    (f) NASA, Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, 21000 Brookpark 
Road, Cleveland, OH 44135 (216-433-2755).
    (g) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, 
MD 20771 (301-286-0730).
    (h) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (281-483-8612).
    (i) NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23681 (757-864-
2497).
    (j) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (256-
544-2030).
    (k) NASA, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (228-688-2164).
    Limited hard copies of the FEIS are available, on a first request 
basis, by contacting David Lavery, Office of Space Science, Mail Code 
SM, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001, telephone 202-358-
4800, or electronic mail [email protected].

Electronic Access

    The FEIS is also available in Acrobat[reg] format at http://spacescience.nasa.gov/admin/pubs/mereis/index.htm.

Copies of the Record of Decision

    Copies of the record of decision, when issued, may be obtained upon 
written request to David Lavery, Office of Space Science, Mail Code SM, 
NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001.

    Dated: December 5, 2002.
Jeffrey E. Sutton,
Assistant Administrator for Management Systems.
[FR Doc. 02-31127 Filed 12-9-02; 8:45 am]
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