[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 8, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 27111-27112]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-11018]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Aviation Administration


Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST); Notice of 
Availability of the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) and Finding of 
No Significant Impact (FONSI) for the Launch and Reentry of 
SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space 
Port

AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), lead Federal agency and 
United States Air Force and National Aeronautics and Space 
Administration, cooperating agencies, DOT.

ACTIONS:  Notice of Availability of Final EA and FONSI.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 
1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), Council on 
Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal 
Regulations parts 1500 to 1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, the 
FAA is announcing the availability of the Final EA and FONSI for the 
Launch and Reentry of SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the 
Mojave Air and Space Port.
    The Final EA was prepared to analyze the potential environmental 
impacts of issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to 
operate SpaceShipTwo reusable suborbital rockets and WhiteKnightTwo 
carrier aircraft at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, 
California. Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would issue experimental 
permits and/or launch licenses to multiple operators for the operation 
of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave Air and Space Port. 
Both WhiteKnightTwo and SpaceShipTwo would be piloted during 
operations. The Mojave Air and Space Port comprises an area of 
approximately 3,000 acres in Kern County, California, and is east of 
the unincorporated town of Mojave. The Final EA addresses the potential 
environmental impacts of implementing the Proposed Action and the No 
Action Alternative of not issuing an experimental permit and/or launch 
license for the operation of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the 
Mojave Air and Space Port.
    The FAA has posted the Final EA and FONSI on the FAA/AST Web site: 
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/review/permits/. A paper copy of the Final EA and FONSI 
may be reviewed during regular business hours at the following 
locations:
    Edwards AFB Base Library, 95 SPTG/SVMG, 5 West Yeager Blvd., 
Building 2665, Edwards AFB, CA 93524-1295.
    Kern County Library, Boron Branch, 26967 20 Mule Team Road, Boron, 
CA 93516.
    Kern County Library, California City Branch, 9507 California City 
Boulevard, California City, CA 93505.
    Kern County Library, Kernville Branch, 48 Tobias Street, Kernville, 
CA 93238.
    Kern County Library, Mojave Branch, 16916-1/2 Highway 14, Mojave, 
CA 93501.
    Kern County Library, Ridgecrest Branch, 131 East Las Flores Avenue, 
Ridgecrest, CA 93555.
    Kern County Library, Tehachapi Branch, 450 West F Street, 
Tehachapi, CA 93561.
    Kern County Library, Wofford Heights Branch, 6400-B Wofford 
Boulevard, Wofford Heights, CA 93285.
    Kern River Valley Library, 7054 Lake Isabella Boulevard, Lake 
Isabella, CA 93240.
    Kern River Valley Library, Wanda Kirk Branch (Rosamond), 3611 
Rosamond Boulevard, Rosamond, CA 93560.
    Additional Information: Under the Proposed Action, the FAA would 
issue experimental permits and/or launch licenses for the operation of 
SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave Air and Space Port in 
Mojave, CA. The Proposed Action does not include any construction 
activities. The Mojave Air and Space Port's existing infrastructure 
would be used for takeoff and landing activities. Experimental permits 
would be valid for one year. Launch licenses would be valid for two 
years. The FAA could renew experimental permits and launch licenses if 
requested, in writing, by the permitees at least 60 days before the 
permit expires, and/or by the licensees at least 90 days before the 
license expires. The Final EA assumes that the FAA could issue either 
new or renewed experimental permits and/or launch licenses. For 
purposes of analyzing environmental impacts in the Final EA, the FAA 
developed a conservative set of assumptions regarding the possible 
number of launches and reentries that could be conducted under any one 
experimental permit and/or launch license for the SpaceShipTwo at the 
Mojave Air and Space Port. The FAA has assumed a maximum of up to 30 
total launches and reentries per year of SpaceShipTwo for a total of up 
to 150 launches and reentries of SpaceShipTwo between 2012 and 2016. 
This estimation is a conservative number and considers potential 
multiple launches per day and potential launch aborts.
    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 experimental permits and/or launch licenses for the 
operation of SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo from the Mojave Air and 
Space Port. Existing operations at Mojave Air and Space Port would 
continue.

[[Page 27112]]

    The resource areas considered in the Final EA include air quality; 
biological resources (including fish, wildlife, and plants); 
historical, architectural, archaeological, and cultural resources; 
hazardous materials, pollution prevention, and solid waste; health and 
safety; land use (including Department of Transportation Section 4(f) 
properties); light emissions and visual resources; noise and compatible 
land use; socioeconomic resources, environmental justice, and 
children's environmental health and safety; and cumulative impacts.

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; email [email protected]; or phone (202) 
267-5924;.

    Issued in Washington, DC on: May 1, 2012.
 Michael McElligott,
Manager, Space Transportation Development Division.
[FR Doc. 2012-11018 Filed 5-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4310-13-P