[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 223 (Friday, November 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Page 71619]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-29892]



[[Page 71619]]

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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and 
Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for Issuing an Experimental 
Permit to SpaceX for Operation of the Grasshopper Vehicle at the 
McGregor Test Site, Texas

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Department of 
Transportation.

ACTIONS: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act 
(NEPA) of 1969, 42 United States Code Sec.  4321-4347 (as amended), 
Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) NEPA implementing regulations 
(40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 1500-1508), and FAA Order 
1050.1E, Change 1, the FAA is announcing the availability of the Final 
EA and FONSI for Issuing an Experimental Permit to SpaceX for Operation 
of the Grasshopper Vehicle at the McGregor Test Site, Texas.
    The Final EA was prepared in response to an application for an 
experimental permit from Space Exploration Technologies Corporation 
(SpaceX). Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would issue an 
experimental permit to SpaceX to conduct suborbital launches and 
landings of the Grasshopper Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV) from the 
McGregor test site in McGregor, Texas. The Grasshopper RLV is a 
vertical takeoff and vertical landing vehicle. The McGregor test site 
is located within the city limits of the City of McGregor, Texas in 
Coryell and McLennan Counties, approximately 20 miles southwest of 
Waco, Texas. The Final EA addresses the potential environmental impacts 
of implementing the Proposed Action and the No Action Alternative of 
not issuing an experimental permit to SpaceX.
    The FAA has posted the Final EA and FONSI on the FAA/AST Web site 
at http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/. In 
addition, copies of the Final EA and FONSI were sent to persons and 
institutions on the distribution list (see Chapter 8 of the Final EA). 
A paper copy of the Final EA and FONSI may be reviewed during regular 
business hours at the following location: McGinley Memorial Library, 
317 Main Street, McGregor, Texas 76657.
    Additional Information: Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would 
issue an experimental permit to SpaceX, which would authorize SpaceX to 
conduct suborbital launches and landings of the Grasshopper RLV from 
the McGregor test site in McGregor, Texas. SpaceX has determined that 
to support the Grasshopper RLV activities under the experimental 
permit, it would be necessary to construct a launch pad and additional 
support infrastructure (water lines). Therefore, the Proposed Action 
analyzed in the Final EA includes the activities that would be 
authorized by the experimental permit (i.e., the operation of the 
launch vehicle) as well as the construction of the launch pad and 
installation of water lines. The experimental permit would be valid for 
one year and would authorize an unlimited number of launches. The FAA 
could renew the experimental permit if requested, in writing, by SpaceX 
at least 60 days before the permit expires. SpaceX anticipates that the 
Grasshopper RLV program would require up to 3 years to complete. 
Therefore, the Proposed Action considers one new permit and two 
potential permit renewals.
    Although an experimental permit would authorize an unlimited number 
of launches, the FAA, in conjunction with SpaceX, developed a 
conservative set of assumptions regarding the possible number of 
launches that could be conducted under any one experimental permit for 
the Grasshopper RLV at the McGregor test site. The FAA has assumed that 
SpaceX would conduct up to 70 annual suborbital launches of the 
Grasshopper RLV under an experimental permit at the McGregor test site. 
This estimation is a conservative number and considers potential 
multiple launches per day and potential launch failures.
    The only alternative to the Proposed Action analyzed in the Final 
EA is the No Action Alternative. Under the No Action Alternative, the 
FAA would not issue an experimental permit to SpaceX for operation of 
the Grasshopper RLV at the McGregor test site. Existing SpaceX 
activities would continue at the McGregor test site. Please refer to 
Section 2.2 of the Final EA for a brief discussion of existing SpaceX 
activities.
    The resource areas considered in the Final EA include air quality; 
noise and compatible land use; land use (including U.S. Department of 
Transportation Section 4(f) Properties); biological resources (fish, 
wildlife, and plants); historical, architectural, archaeological, and 
cultural resources; hazardous materials, pollution prevention, and 
solid waste; light emissions and visual resources; natural resources 
and energy supply; water resources (surface waters and wetlands, 
groundwater, floodplains, and water quality); socioeconomics, 
environmental justice, and children's environmental health and safety; 
and secondary (induced) impacts. Potential cumulative impacts of the 
Proposed Action were also addressed in the Final EA.
    An analysis of the Proposed Action has concluded that there would 
be no significant short-term, long-term, or cumulative effects to the 
environment or surrounding populations. Therefore, an Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Proposed Action is not required. After careful 
and thorough consideration of the facts contained herein, the FAA finds 
that the proposed Federal action is consistent with existing national 
environmental policies and objectives as set forth in Section 101 of 
NEPA and other applicable environmental requirements and will not 
significantly affect the quality of the human environment or otherwise 
include any condition requiring consultation pursuant to Section 
102(2)(c) of NEPA.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Daniel Czelusniak, Environmental 
Program Lead, Office of Commercial Space Transportation, Federal 
Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Avenue SW., Room 325, 
Washington, DC 20591; telephone (202) 267-5924; email: 
[email protected].

    Issued in Washington, DC, on November 11, 2011.
Glenn H. Rizner,
Deputy Manager, Space Transportation Development Division.
[FR Doc. 2011-29892 Filed 11-17-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-13-P