[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 204 (Friday, October 22, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 62113-62114]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-23669]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation 
Notice of Availability and Request for Comment on a Draft Supplemental 
Environmental Assessment (EA) for the East Kern Airport District (EKAD) 
Launch Site Operator License for the Mojave Airport, CA

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Associate Administrator 
for Commercial Space Transportation (AST) prepared the Draft 
Supplemental EA.

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comment.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 
regulations, the FAA is initiating a public review and comment period 
for a Draft Supplemental EA. In February 2004, the FAA released a Final 
Environmental Assessment for the East Kern Airport District Launch Site 
Operator License for the Mojave Airport, which analyzed the 
environmental impacts of operating a launch site at the Mojave Airport 
in Mojave, California. The February 2004 EA was prepared to support an 
application from EKAD to operate a licensed launch facility at the 
Mojave Airport. Two types of launch vehicles were included in the 
analysis as typical vehicles that would operate from the Mojave 
Airport. The first vehicle type, referred to in the EA as Concept A, 
includes air-drop designs where two vehicles, an airplane and a launch 
vehicle are mated together, and the airplane carries the launch vehicle 
to a predetermined altitude where the launch vehicle is dropped and its 
rocket engines ignite. The second vehicle type referred to in the EA as 
Concept B includes horizontally launched vehicles, which use rocket 
power to takeoff from a standard aviation runway.
    The FAA issued a launch license to Scaled Composites, Limited 
Liability Corporation (LLC) on April 7, 2004 for launches of the 
SpaceShipOne vehicle, which is similar to Concept A launch vehicles 
described and analyzed in the February 2004 EA. The February 2004 EA 
considered the environmental impacts of launching up to six (6) Concept 
A launch vehicles from the Mojave Airport in 2004. To ensure that 
Scaled Composites and other potential Concept A vehicle operators would 
have maximum flexibility in using the Mojave Airport to support their 
launch programs, the Draft Supplemental EA considers the environmental 
impacts of

[[Page 62114]]

four (4) additional Concept A launches in 2004 for a maximum of 10 
launches in 2004. The Draft Supplemental EA considers the cumulative 
impacts of the six (6) previously analyzed launches, the four (4) 
additional launches of Concept A vehicles, and other existing and 
proposed operations at the Mojave Airport.

DATES: The public comment period for the NEPA process begins with the 
publication of this notice and request for comment in the Federal 
Register. To ensure that all comments can be addressed in the Final 
Supplemental EA, comments must be received by the FAA no later than 
November 24, 2004.
    Copies of the Draft Supplemental EA will be made available at the 
following libraries:
     Edwards Air Force Base Library
     Kern County Library (Boron, California City, Mojave, and 
Tehachapi Branches)
     Kern River Valley Library (Lake Isabella and Rosamond 
Branches)
     Palmdale City Library
    A downloadable electronic version of the Draft Supplemental EA is 
available on the FAA Internet site http://ast.faa.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Written and oral comments regarding 
the Draft Supplemental EA should be submitted to, Mr. Doug Graham, FAA 
Environmental Specialist, Mojave Airport Supplemental EA, c/o ICF 
Consulting, 9300 Lee Highway, Fairfax, VA 22031; e-mail 
[email protected]; or fax (703) 934-3951.
    Additional Information: The purpose of the proposed action is to 
offer the Mojave Airport as an alternative location to Federal 
facilities or other commercial sites for launches of horizontal launch 
vehicles. This is consistent with the FAA's mission to ensure 
protection of the public, property, and the national security and 
foreign policy interests of the U.S., in the event of a commercial 
launch or reentry activity, and to encourage, facilitate, and promote 
U.S. commercial space transportation. Launches of SpaceShipOne and 
other Concept A launch vehicles from the Mojave Airport are needed to 
help meet the increasing demand for access to space. This demand for 
access to space cannot be met solely by the National Aeronautics and 
Space Administration (NASA) or Department of Defense (DoD). As the 
demand continues to increase it is conceivable that more than six (6) 
launches of Concept A launch vehicles may be required in 2004.
    At this time, SpaceShipOne is the only operational Concept A 
vehicle that can launch from the Mojave Airport. Scaled Composites has 
notified EKAD that they may need to conduct up to 10 launches in 2004. 
The proposed action in the Draft Supplemental EA is for the FAA to 
license up to four (4) additional launches of Concept A vehicles from 
the Mojave Airport in 2004. There are no Concept B launches proposed in 
2004. This would bring the maximum total number of launches of Concept 
A vehicles to 10 for 2004. Neither Scaled Composites, nor any other 
potential Concept A vehicle operator has identified a need to conduct 
more than six (6) launches per year in the years 2005 to 2008. Because 
there is no reasonably foreseeable need to conduct more than six (6) 
launches per year in 2005 to 2008, no additional launches are 
considered in subsequent years and the number of launches would remain 
as described in the February 2004 EA.
    No construction activities are proposed as part of this proposed 
action. Existing infrastructure, including hangars and runways, would 
be used to support launch and landing operations at the airport.
    Concept A launch operators would coordinate with the Mojave Airport 
and air traffic control towers in accordance with existing protocols 
prior to conducting launches and landings at the Mojave Airport.
    Under the no action alternative, the FAA would not increase the 
number of licensed launches of Concept A vehicles. As analyzed in the 
February 2004 EA, six (6) total launches of Concept A vehicles could 
occur from the Mojave Airport in 2004; however, the four (4) additional 
proposed launches would not occur.
    Potential impacts of the proposed action and no action alternative 
were analyzed in the Draft Supplemental EA. Potential environmental 
impacts of successful launches include impacts to air quality, 
airspace, biological resources, cultural resources, health and safety, 
hazardous materials and hazardous waste, geology and soils, land use, 
noise, socioeconomics and environmental justice, transportation, visual 
and aesthetic resources, and water resources. The impacts of the no 
action alternative would be the same as those described in the February 
2004 EA.
    Potential cumulative impacts of proposed action are also addressed 
in the Draft Supplemental EA.

    Date Issued: October 18, 2004. Washington, DC.
Herbert Bachner,
Manager, Space Systems Development Division.
[FR Doc. 04-23669 Filed 10-21-04; 8:45 am]
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