[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 78 (Thursday, April 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21865-21867]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-9133]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 04-054]


National Environmental Policy Act; Mars Exploration Program

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of draft programmatic environmental 
impact statement (DPEIS) for implementation of the Mars Exploration 
Program.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA) (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 DPEIS for the Mars 
Exploration Program (MEP). The DPEIS addresses the potential 
environmental impacts associated with continuing the preparations for 
and implementing the program.
    The MEP would be a science-driven, technology-enabled effort to 
characterize and understand Mars using an exploration strategy, which 
focuses on evidence of the presence of water. Following the pathways 
and cycles of water may lead to preserved ancient records of biological 
processes, as well as the character of environments on Mars. The 
Proposed Action addresses the preparation for and implementation of a 
coordinated series of robotic orbital, surface, and atmospheric 
missions to gather scientific data on Mars and its environments through 
2020. Continued planning for sample return missions, which would enable 
study of Martian samples in Earth-based laboratories, would be 
included. Some MEP missions could use radioisotope power systems (RPSs) 
for electricity, radioisotope heater units (RHUs) for thermal control, 
and small quantities of radioisotopes in science instruments for 
experiments and instrument calibration. Environmental impacts 
associated with specific missions would be addressed in subsequent 
environmental documentation, as appropriate. Missions launched from the 
United States would originate from either Cape Canaveral Air Force 
Station (CCAFS), Florida or Vandenberg Air Force Base (VAFB), 
California.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on 
environmental concerns on or before June 7, 2004, or 45 days from the 
date of publication in the Federal Register of the EPA notice of 
availability of the MEP DPEIS, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted via first class, registered, or certified 
mail should be addressed to Mark R. Dahl, Office of Space Science, Mail 
Code SM, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001. Comments 
submitted via express mail, a commercial deliverer, or courier service 
should be addressed to Mark R. Dahl, Office of Space Science, Mail Code 
SM, Attn: Receiving & Inspection (Rear of Building), NASA Headquarters, 
300 E Street SW., Washington, DC 20024-3210. While hard copy comments 
are preferred, comments by electronic mail may be sent to 
[email protected]. The DPEIS may be reviewed at the following 
locations:

(a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20546.
(b) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 Oak 
Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).

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

(c) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (650-604-1181).
(d) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, P.O. Box 273, Edwards, CA 
93523 (661-258-3449).
(e) NASA, Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field, 21000 Brookpark Road, 
Cleveland, OH 44135 (216-433-2755).
(f) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt Road, Greenbelt, MD 
20771 (301-286-6255).
(g) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (281-483-8612).
(h) NASA, Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899 (321-867-9280).
(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 DPEIS are available, on a first request 
basis, by contacting Mark R. Dahl at the address or telephone number 
indicated herein. The DPEIS also is available in Acrobat[reg] format at 
http://spacescience.nasa.gov/admin/pubs/mepdpeis/index.htm.

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

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: With the MEP, NASA would establish a series 
of objectives to address the open scientific questions associated with 
the exploration of Mars. These objectives have been organized by the 
program as follows:

--Determine if life exists or has ever existed on Mars,
--Understand the current state and evolution of the atmosphere, 
surface, and interior of Mars, and
--Develop an understanding of Mars in support of possible future human 
exploration.
    The purpose of the action addressed in the DPEIS is to further the 
scientific goals of the MEP by continuing the exploration and 
characterization of the planet. On the basis of the knowledge gained 
from prior and ongoing missions (i.e., the early Mariners, Viking, Mars 
Pathfinder, Mars Global Surveyor, and Mars Odyssey), it appears that 
Mars, like Earth, has experienced dynamic interactions among its 
atmosphere, surface, and interior that are, at least in part, related 
to water. Following the pathways and cycles of water has emerged as a 
strategy that possibly may lead to a preserved record of biological 
processes, as well as the character of ancient environments on Mars. In 
addition to understanding the history of Mars, investigations 
undertaken in the MEP may shed light on current environments that could 
support existing biological processes.
    The Proposed Action (Alternative 1) would consist of a long-term 
program that, as a goal, sends at least one spacecraft to Mars during 
each launch opportunity extending through the first two decades of the 
twenty-first century. Efficient launch opportunities to Mars occur 
approximately every 26 months. MEP missions would be launched on 
expendable launch vehicles (e.g., Delta or Atlas class) from either 
CCAFS, Florida, or VAFB, California.
    International participation in the MEP could include, but not be 
limited to, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency (ESA), 
the French Space Agency, the German Space Agency, the Italian Space 
Agency, and the Russian Space Agency. The MEP could include 
international missions in which NASA

[[Page 21866]]

proposes to be a participant that are to be launched from a foreign 
site. Under the Proposed Action, the MEP would consist of a series of 
robotic orbital, surface, and atmospheric missions to Mars. Some 
spacecraft could use RPSs for continuous electrical power, RHUs for 
thermal control, and small quantities of radioisotopes in science 
instruments for experiments and instrument calibration.
    At this time, it is envisioned that the MEP missions through the 
first decade would consist of the following:

--NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter, which was launched on April 7, 2001, and 
is currently in orbit about Mars.
--NASA's Mars Exploration Rovers project, which consists of two 
missions that sent two identical rovers to two different sites on the 
surface of Mars. Spirit and Opportunity were launched in June and July 
2003, respectively, and successfully landed on Mars in January 2004. 
Both rovers are currently operating on Mars.
--ESA's Mars Express mission, which consists of an orbiter and the 
Beagle 2 lander, launched in June 2003. Mars Express successfully 
entered orbit at Mars on December 25, 2003 (Beagle 2 was deemed lost 
after attempts to communicate with it failed after the scheduled 
landing on December 25).
--NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is proposed for launch in 
2005, and is intended to narrow the focus of potential landing sites to 
search for the most compelling indicators for bearing life.
--A series of small, narrowly focused missions, called Mars Scouts, is 
currently proposed to explore Mars at every other launch opportunity 
beginning in 2007. The first Mars Scout mission, a lander called 
Phoenix, would be launched during this opportunity.
--NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), proposed for launch in 2009, 
would conduct surface and sub-surface investigations to examine the 
aqueous history of Mars and search for potential building blocks of 
life. The MSL could utilize a RPS to provide uninterrupted electrical 
power. NASA also proposes to launch a Mars Telecommunications Orbiter 
during the 2009 opportunity.
--A second Mars Scout mission is proposed for launch during the 2011 
opportunity.

    Missions beyond 2011 could use orbiters, rovers, and landers and 
could include the first mission to return Martian samples. As new 
information and techniques become available during the course of the 
program, the timing, focus, and objectives of MEP missions in the 
second decade could be redirected.
    Alternatives to the Proposed Action evaluated in the DPEIS include 
the following:

--Under Alternative 2, NASA would continue to explore Mars through 
2020, but on a less frequent, less comprehensive, mission-by-mission 
basis. These missions may include international partners. Any mission 
proposed to continue the exploration of Mars would be developed and 
launched within the broader context of all other missions proposed for 
exploring other parts of the solar system. Robotic orbital, surface, 
and atmospheric missions could be used to explore Mars and could 
include sample return missions. Landed spacecraft could use RPSs for 
power generation or RHUs for thermal control of temperature-sensitive 
components in the spacecraft. Some spacecraft may carry small 
quantities of radioisotopes in science instruments for experiments and 
for instrument calibration.
--Under the No Action Alternative, NASA would discontinue planning for 
and launching robotic missions to Mars through 2020. Currently 
operating NASA spacecraft at or en route to Mars would continue their 
missions to completion. New science investigations of Mars would only 
be made remotely from Earth-based assets, i.e., ground- or space-based 
observatories, or from spacecraft developed and launched to Mars by 
non-U.S. space agencies.
    The environmental impacts of the Proposed Action and Alternatives 
are discussed in the DPEIS from a programmatic perspective. Because the 
DPEIS is being prepared during the planning stages for the MEP, 
specific proposed projects and missions within the MEP are only 
addressed in terms of a broad, conceptual framework. Each project or 
mission within the MEP that would propose use of RPSs or RHUs would be 
the subject of additional environmental documentation. While detailed 
analyses and test data for each spacecraft-launch vehicle combination 
are not yet available, there is sufficient information from previous 
programs and existing NEPA documentation to assess the potential 
environmental impacts.
    A major component of the MEP is continued planning for one or more 
missions that would return samples from Mars. At the time of 
publication of the DPEIS, preliminary concepts for a sample return 
mission are being studied and would continue to be refined and 
evaluated. A sample return mission would be the subject of separate 
environmental documentation, as would the location, design and 
operational requirements for a returned-sample receiving facility. NASA 
may also propose to participate in international missions to Mars to be 
launched from foreign locations. In such an event, NASA will prepare 
environmental documentation in accordance with Executive Order 12114, 
Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions. The non-
radiological environmental impacts associated with normal spacecraft 
launches from both CCAFS and VAFB have been addressed in previous U.S. 
Air Force and NASA environmental documentation. Rocket launches are 
discrete events that cause short-term impacts on local air quality. 
However, because launches are relatively infrequent events, and winds 
rapidly disperse and dilute the launch emissions to background 
concentrations, long-term effects from exhaust emissions would not be 
anticipated. If solid rocket motors are used, surface waters in the 
immediate area of the exhaust cloud might temporarily acidify from 
deposition of hydrogen chloride. Launching a mission during each 
opportunity to Mars (approximately every 26 months) under the Proposed 
Action or less frequently under Alternative 2 would result in 
negligible release of ozone-depleting chemicals with no anticipated 
long-term cumulative impacts.
    One or more of the missions to Mars could propose the use of 
radioisotopes under the Proposed Action and Alternative 2. Small 
quantities of radioisotopes may be used for instrument calibration or 
to enable science experiments, and RHUs or RPSs containing varying 
amounts of plutonium dioxide may be used to supply heat and electric 
power, respectively. Under both alternatives NASA will determine the 
appropriate level of NEPA documentation required for any mission 
proposing use of radiological material. If required, a nuclear risk 
assessment will be developed by the U.S. Department of Energy to 
address the human health and environmental risks associated with the 
use of radioactive material. Many of the parameters that determine the 
risks for a specific mission are expected to be similar to those 
associated with previous missions (e.g., Galileo, Ulysses, Cassini, and 
the Spirit and Opportunity rovers). Mission-specific factors that 
affect the estimated risk include the

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amount and type of radioactive material used in a mission, the 
protective features of the devices containing the radioactive material, 
the probability of an accident which can damage the radioactive 
material, and the accident environments (e.g., propellant fires, debris 
fragments, and blast overpressure). The risks associated with a Mars 
exploration mission carrying radioactive material are, therefore, 
expected to be similar to those estimated for earlier missions. The 
population and individual risks associated with prior missions that 
have made use of radioactive material have all been shown to be 
relatively small.
    Any person, organization, or governmental body or agency interested 
in receiving a copy of NASA's Record of Decision after it is rendered 
should so indicate by mail or electronic mail to Mr. Dahl at the 
addresses provided above.

Jeffrey E. Sutton,
Assistant Administrator for Institutional and Corporate Management.
[FR Doc. 04-9133 Filed 4-21-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-01-P