[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 163 (Tuesday, August 23, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 52694-52696]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-21419]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (11-076)]


National Environmental Policy Act: Launch of NASA Routine 
Payloads on Expendable Launch Vehicles

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability and request for comments on the draft 
environmental assessment (``Draft EA'') for launch of NASA routine 
payloads on expendable launch vehicles.

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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 NEPA policy and 
procedures (14 CFR part 1216 subpart 1216.3), NASA has prepared a Draft 
EA for launch of NASA routine payloads on expendable launch vehicles. 
For purposes of this Draft EA, NASA routine payloads include science 
instruments, spacecraft or technology demonstrations. This EA updates 
the 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 published in June 
2002. NASA missions covered by this Draft EA would be scheduled for 
launch at one of the proposed launch sites and would be within the 
total number of launch operations previously analyzed in launch vehicle 
and launch site NEPA documents. The proposed launches would occur from 
existing launch facilities at CCAFS, Florida, VAFB, California, the 
United States Army Kwajalein Atoll/Reagan Test Site (USAKA/RTS) in the 
Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI), NASA's Wallops Flight Facility 
(WFF), Virginia, and the Kodiak Launch Complex (KLC), Alaska. The 
Cooperating Agencies on this Draft EA include the Federal Aviation 
Administration (FAA), the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center, 
the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, and the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
    The Draft EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts 
associated with preparing and implementing launches of missions that 
are designated NASA routine payloads on U.S. expendable launch vehicles 
from existing U.S. facilities using established procedures. The NASA 
routine payloads meet rigorously defined criteria ensuring that the 
spacecraft and their operation would not present any new or substantial 
environmental and safety concerns. A Routine Payload Checklist is used 
to exclude missions from consideration as routine payloads if they: (1) 
Include any extraterrestrial sample return; (2) would be launched on a 
vehicle or from a launch site for which NASA has not completed NEPA 
compliance; (3) carry radioactive sources that could not be approved by 
the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance Nuclear Flight Safety 
Assurance Manager or designee; (4) cause the manifested launch rate 
(per year) for a particular launch vehicle to exceed the rate 
previously approved and permitted at the launch sites; (5) require the 
construction of any new facilities (or substantial modification of 
existing facilities); (6) utilize hazardous materials in quantities 
exceeding the Envelope Payload Characteristics (EPCs); (7) utilize 
potentially hazardous material whose type or amount would not be 
covered by new or existing local permits; (8) release material other 
than propulsion system exhaust or inert gases into the atmosphere; (9) 
suggest the potential for any substantial impact on public health and 
safety not covered by this Draft EA; (10) have the potential for 
substantial effects on the environment outside the United States; (11) 
utilize an Earth-pointing laser system that does not meet the 
requirements for safe operations according to American National 
Standards Institute analysis techniques; (12) carry live or inactive 
disease-causing biological agents beyond Biological Safety Level 1; or 
(13) have the potential to create substantial public controversy 
related to environmental issues.
    Payloads that fall within the Routine Payload Checklist would 
utilize materials, quantities of materials, launch vehicles, and 
operational characteristics that are consistent with normal and routine 
payload preparation and flight activities at these specified launch 
sites. Therefore, the environmental impacts of launching routine 
payloads would fall within the range of routine, ongoing, and 
previously documented impacts associated with approved programs that 
have been determined not to be significant. The purpose and need for

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this proposed action is to fulfill NASA's mission for Earth 
exploration, space exploration, technology development, and scientific 
research. The scientific missions associated with NASA routine payloads 
could not be accomplished without launching orbital and interplanetary 
spacecraft.

DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on the Draft 
EA in writing no later than 45 days from the date of publication of 
this notice in the Federal Register.

ADDRESSES: Comments should be submitted via electronic mail to: 
[email protected].
    Comments may also be submitted via postal mail addressed to: George 
Tahu, NASA Program Executive, Science Mission Directorate, Planetary 
Science Division, Mail Stop 3V71, NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20546.

    The Draft EA is available for review at http://www.nasa.gov/green/nepa/routinepayloadea.html.
    The Draft EA may also be reviewed at the following locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20546 (202-358-0167).
    (b) Central Brevard Library and Reference Center, 308 Forrest Ave., 
Cocoa, FL 32922 (321-633-1792).
    (c) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).
    (d) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Visitor's Center, 8463 Greenbelt 
Road, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301-286-8981).
    (e) Chincoteague Island Library, 4077 Main Street, Chincoteague, VA 
23336 (757-336-3460).
    (f) NASA WFF Technical Library, Building E-105, Wallops Island, VA 
23337 (757-824-1065).
    (g) Eastern Shore Public Library, 23610 Front Street, Accomac, VA 
23301 (757-787-3400).
    (h) Kodiak Library, 319 Lower Mill Bay Road, Kodiak, AK 99615 (907-
486-8680).
    (i) NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (650-604-
3273).
    (j) Grace Sherwood and Roi-Namur Libraries, P.O. Box 23, Kwajalein, 
Marshall Islands APO, A.P. 96555. (805-355-2015).
    (k) Alele Public Library, P.O. Box 629, Majuro, Republic of the 
Marshall Islands 96960. (692-625-3372).
    (l) Lompoc Public Library, 501 E. North Avenue, Lompoc, CA 93436 
(850-875-8775).
    (m) Santa Maria Public Library, 420 South Broadway, Santa Maria, CA 
93454-5199 (805-925-0994).
    (n) Government Information Center, Davidson Library, University of 
California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010 (805-893-8803).
    (o) Vandenberg Air Force Base Library, 100 Community Loop, Building 
10343A, Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437 (805-606-6414).
    (p) Hampton Library, 4207 Victoria Blvd., Hampton, VA 23669 (757-
727-1154).
    Limited hard copies of the Draft EA are available, on a first 
request basis, by contacting Mr. Tahu at the address or telephone 
number indicated herein.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: George Tahu, Program Executive at the 
Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, telephone 202-358-0723 
or via electronic mail at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: U.S. space and Earth exploration is integral 
to NASA's strategic plan for carrying out its mission. NASA is also 
committed to the further development of advanced, low-cost technologies 
for exploring and utilizing space. To fulfill these objectives, a 
continuing series of scientific spacecraft would need to be designed, 
built, and launched into Earth orbit or towards other bodies in the 
Solar System. These spacecraft would flyby, encounter, orbit about, 
land on, or impact with these Solar System bodies to collect various 
scientific data that would be transmitted to Earth via radio for 
analysis. The scientific missions associated with NASA routine payloads 
could not be accomplished without launching such scientific spacecraft.
    The proposed action is comprised of preparing and launching 
missions designated as NASA routine payloads. The design and 
operational characteristics and, therefore, the potential environmental 
impacts of routine payloads would be rigorously bounded. NASA routine 
payloads would utilize materials, launch vehicles, facilities, and 
operations that are normally and customarily used at all proposed 
launch sites. The routine payloads would use these materials, launch 
vehicles, facilities, and operations only within the scope of 
activities already approved or permitted. The scope of this Draft EA 
includes all spacecraft that would meet specific criteria on their 
construction and launch, would accomplish the requirements of NASA's 
research objectives, and would not present new or substantial 
environmental impacts or hazards. These spacecraft would meet the 
limitations set forth in the Routine Payload Checklist, which was 
developed to delimit the characteristics and environmental impacts of 
this group of spacecraft. Preparation and launch of all spacecraft that 
are defined as routine payloads would have potential environmental 
impacts that fall within the range of routine, ongoing, and previously 
documented impacts associated with approved missions that have been 
determined not to be significant. Alternative spacecraft designs that 
exceed the limitations of the Routine Payload Checklist may have new or 
substantial environmental impacts or hazards and would be subjected to 
additional environmental analysis. Foreign launch vehicles would 
require individual consideration, review, and separate environmental 
analysis, and were not considered to be reasonable alternatives for the 
purpose of this NASA routine payload Draft EA. The No-Action 
Alternative would mean that specific criteria and thresholds presented 
in the 2002 Final Environmental Assessment for Launch of NASA Routine 
Payloads on Expendable Launch Vehicles from CCAFS Florida and VAFB 
California would be used to determine a spacecraft's eligibility to be 
considered a NASA Routine Payload launching on the Pegasus, Taurus, 
Atlas and Delta families of the vehicles from CCAFS and VAFB. The No-
Action alternative would mean that NASA would not launch scientific and 
technology demonstration spacecraft missions defined as routine 
payloads on the Falcon and Minotaur families of launch vehicles from 
any of the launch sites, nor would NASA launch payloads from USAKA, 
WFF, or KLC, without individual mission NEPA review and documentation.
    If the No-Action alternative were selected, NASA would revert to 
publishing individual NEPA documentation for each mission. Duplicate 
analyses and redundant documentation for spacecraft missions that meet 
the limitations of the Routine Payload Checklist, however, would not 
present any new information or identify any substantially different 
environmental impacts.
    The launch vehicles proposed for launching the routine payload 
spacecraft represent all presently or soon to be available domestic 
(U.S.) vehicles that would be suitable for launching the routine 
payloads, would likely be available, have documented environmental 
impacts demonstrating NEPA compliance, and would use either existing 
launch facilities or launch facilities for which environmental impacts 
have been examined in NEPA documents, or will be in the future. The 
expendable launch vehicles specifically included in this action include 
the

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following: the Athena I and II, Atlas V family, the Delta family, the 
Falcon family, the Minotaur family, the Pegasus XL, and Taurus family. 
These launch vehicles would accommodate the desired range of payload 
masses, would provide the needed trajectory capabilities, and would 
provide highly reliable launch services. Individual launch vehicles 
would be carefully matched to the launch requirements of each 
particular NASA routine payload.
    In the event that other launch vehicles become available after 
final publication of this Draft EA, they could be NEPA compliant under 
this Draft EA if they meet the following criteria: (1) NASA has been a 
cooperating agency with the Department of Defense (DoD) or FAA on the 
launch vehicle for that given launch site; (2) NASA has published NEPA 
documentation for that specific launch vehicle at that specific launch 
site; or (3) NASA formally adopts another agency's NEPA documentation. 
In addition, launch vehicles covered in this Draft EA could be eligible 
for launch from commercial spaceports or DoD installations not covered 
by this document if: (1) NASA is a cooperating agency on the NEPA 
documents developed by the DoD or FAA for that site; (2) NASA formally 
adopts those NEPA documents as its own pursuant to CEQ regulations; or 
(3) NASA completes its own NEPA documentation on a specific launch 
site.
    For the NASA routine payload missions, the potentially affected 
environment for normal launches includes the areas at and in the 
vicinity of the proposed launch sites, CCAFS, Florida, VAFB, 
California, USAKA/RTS, RMI, WFF, Virginia, and KLC, Alaska. Because 
propellants are typically the largest contributors to potential 
environmental impacts of a NASA Routine Payload launch, the total 
propellant load for a payload is considered in this Draft EA. If the 
payload propellant load exceeds the EPC defined in the Draft EA, then 
additional NEPA analysis and documentation would be required. For 
normal launches of NASA routine payloads under the proposed action, the 
environmental impacts would be associated principally with the exhaust 
emissions from the launch vehicles. These effects would include short-
term impacts on air quality within the exhaust cloud and near the 
launch pads, and the potential for acidic deposition on the vegetation 
and surface water bodies at and near each launch complex, particularly 
if a rain storm occurred. NASA routine payload processing and launch 
activities would not require any additional permits or mitigation 
measures beyond those already existing, or in coordination, for 
launches.
    There are no direct or substantial environmental impacts, including 
cumulative impacts, associated with the proposed action that have not 
already been covered by NEPA documentation for the existing launch 
sites, launch vehicles, launch facilities, and payload processing 
facilities.

Olga M. Dominguez,
Assistant Administrator for Strategic Infrastructure.
[FR Doc. 2011-21419 Filed 8-22-11; 8:45 am]
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