[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 207 (Friday, October 25, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57491-57492]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-23363]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[NOTICE: (19-073)]


National Environmental Policy Act; Mars 2020 Mission

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of availability for the Draft Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement (Supplemental EIS) for implementation of the Mars 2020 
mission.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA), as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations 
for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA, and NASA's 
procedures for implementing NEPA, NASA announces the availability of 
the Draft supplement to the Final Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Mars 2020 Mission (Supplemental EIS) for public review and comment. 
The Draft Supplemental EIS provides updated information related to the 
potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed Mars 2020 
mission.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Contact Mr. George Tahu by electronic 
mail at [email protected] or by telephone at 202-358-0016.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The updated information is pertinent to the 
consequence and risk analyses of potential accidents which could occur 
during the launch phases of the mission. Although the probability of 
such accidents occurring is extremely small, it is possible that under 
certain conditions an accident could result in a release of plutonium 
dioxide from the Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator 
(MMRTG) into the environment. The MMRTG is a critical component of the 
Mars 2020 rover; it would enable the Mars 2020 rover mission to 
undertake a much broader scope of scientific discovery by providing a 
continuous supply of electrical power and temperature control to the 
Mars 2020 rover while on the surface of Mars. The Mars 2020 mission 
would launch the spacecraft onboard an Atlas V launch vehicle from the 
Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Brevard County, Florida 
during the summer of 2020. Additional information about the mission may 
be found on the internet at: https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/.
    NASA encourages all interested parties to provide comments 
concerning the scope and content of the Draft Supplemental EIS by 
December 10,

[[Page 57492]]

2019. The Draft Supplemental EIS is available in local libraries or for 
download on the internet at: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-2020-mission.
    NASA will also hold the following public meetings to solicit 
comments on the Draft Supplemental EIS:
    November 13, 2019; 6 p.m.-9 p.m.: Kennedy Space Center Visitors 
Complex, Space Commerce Way, Merritt Island, FL 32953.
    November 14, 2019; 2 p.m.-5 p.m.: Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 
Clearlake Rd., Cocoa, FL 32922.
    November 15, 2019; 1 p.m.-3 p.m.: VIRTUAL meeting online at http://go.nasa.gov/SEIS-meeting.
    At the meetings, NASA will describe the environmental review 
process, discuss the proposed action and the updated environmental 
analysis presented in the Draft Supplemental EIS, and provide the 
public an opportunity to offer comments. The meetings on November 13 
and November 14 will begin with an open-house format for the first hour 
followed by a 20-minute formal presentation. After the formal 
presentation, there will be a public comment period in which members of 
the public may provide up to a three-minute statement. Written comments 
will also be collected throughout the meetings.
    The meeting on November 15 will be a virtual meeting held at http://go.nasa.gov/SEIS-meeting.
    A formal presentation will be given between 1:00 p.m.-1:20 p.m., 
thereafter attendees may then use the commenting feature to submit 
comments until 3 pm.
    NASA will accept comments on the Draft Supplemental EIS until the 
expiration of the comment period on December 10, 2019. All comments 
NASA receives will be considered and responded to in the Final 
Supplemental EIS. Comments may be submitted at any of the public 
meetings, by electronic mail at [email protected], by 
telephone at 202-358-0016, or in writing to Mr. George Tahu, Planetary 
Science Division, Science Mission Directorate, Mail Suite 3E46, NASA 
Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546-0001.
    Before including your address, phone number, email address, or 
other personal identifying information in your comment, be advised that 
your entire comment--including your personal identifying information--
may be publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your 
comment to withhold from public review your personal identifying 
information, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.
    NASA's proposed Mars 2020 mission would use the proven design and 
technology developed for the Mars Science Laboratory mission and rover 
(Curiosity) that launched from CCAFS in November 2011 and arrived at 
Mars in August 2012. NASA has selected a high priority, scientifically 
important landing site based upon data from past and current missions. 
The rover is equipped with new scientific instrumentation that would: 
(a) Characterize the geological processes and history of an 
astrobiologically relevant ancient environment on Mars; (b) within the 
selected geological environment, assess the past habitability of the 
landing region and search for evidence of past life; (c) assemble a 
scientifically selected, well-documented, cache of samples for 
potential future return to the Earth; (d) further the preparation for 
future human exploration of Mars; and (e) demonstrate improved 
technical capabilities for landing and operating on the surface of Mars 
to benefit future Mars missions.
    On September 11, 2013, NASA issued a Notice of Intent to prepare an 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Mars 2020 mission. NASA 
prepared the EIS and issued the Final in November 2014. NASA evaluated 
several alternatives related to the Mars 2020 rover's power source. 
NASA identified use of the MMRTG as its preferred alternative to meet 
the mission's electrical, thermal, and operational requirements. Waste 
heat from the MMRTG would be used for temperature control of the rover 
electronics, science instruments, and other sensitive components. The 
MMRTG is identical to the power supply that has been used with success 
on the Mars Curiosity rover. Alternatives to the Proposed Action 
addressed in the 2014 Final EIS included: (1) The use of alternative 
sources of on-board power and heat (including solar energy); and (2) 
the No Action Alternative. The 2014 Mars 2020 Final EIS also addressed 
the purpose and need for the proposed Mars 2020 mission and the 
environmental impacts associated with its implementation. The 
environmental impacts associated with the normal launch of the mission 
were addressed, as were the potential consequences of launch related 
accidents. NASA issued its Record of Decision (ROD) for the Mars 2020 
mission on January 27, 2015. The ROD adopted Alternative 1 as the 
preferred alternative. Alternative 1 required NASA to complete 
preparation for and implement the proposed Mars 2020 mission during 
July-August 2020, or during the next available launch opportunity in 
August through September 2022, and to operate the mission using a MMRTG 
that would continually provide heat and electrical power to the rover's 
battery. Since 2015, NASA has significantly advanced preparations for 
the Mars 2020 mission and selected the Atlas V as the launch vehicle. 
The Mars 2020 Final EIS discussed Incomplete and Unavailable 
Information which would be addressed in the future through more 
detailed risk analyses conducted as part of NASA's and the Department 
of Energy's (DOE) ongoing radiological safety review programs. These 
analyses were completed in 2019 and accounted for the Atlas V as the 
chosen launch vehicle (that was selected on August 25, 2016, after the 
Mars 2020 Record of Decision on January 27, 2015), up-to-date safety 
test information, and updated analytical models.
    NASA policy for implementation of NEPA is found in NASA Procedural 
Requirements 8580.1A (NPR). The NPR requires preparation of a 
supplemental NEPA document when significant new information relevant to 
environmental concerns that bear on the proposed action or its impacts 
is discovered. Since NASA issued the 2014 Final EIS and 2015 ROD, the 
updated results from the risk and consequence modeling have become 
available for NASA's consideration. NASA has determined that the 
purposes of NEPA will be furthered by preparation and issuance of a 
Supplemental EIS.

Calvin F. Williams,
Associate Administrator, Office of Strategic Infrastructure, Mission 
Support Directorate.
[FR Doc. 2019-23363 Filed 10-24-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7510-13-P