[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 16 (Friday, January 24, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4342-4343]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-01179]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice: 20-003]


National Environmental Policy Act; Mars 2020 Mission

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of availability for the Final 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 (CEQ NEPA 
Regulations), and NASA's procedures for implementing NEPA, NASA 
announces the availability of the Final Supplemental Environmental 
Impact Statement for the Mars 2020 Mission (Supplemental EIS). NASA has 
prepared the Final SEIS which, in accordance with CEQ NEPA Regulations, 
provides responses to comments and incorporates associated changes 
resulting from the public and agency review of the Draft SEIS published 
in October 2019. The Final SEIS provides updated information related to 
the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed Mars 
2020 mission. The United States Air Force and Department of Energy 
(DOE) served as Cooperating Agencies.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION 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/.
    Per CEQ NEPA Regulations a decision on a course of action will be 
made after the 30-day Final SEIS waiting period, to conclude 30-days 
from the date of this Federal Register publication. Although NEPA does 
not require responses to public comments received during this period, 
comments received will be considered in determining final decisions. 
Any decision will be documented in a Record of Decision that will be 
made available to the public. The Final SEIS is available for download 
at https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-2020-mission. Because there 
were no substantive changes to the document from Draft SEIS to Final 
SEIS, paper copies will be made available by request only. Comments on, 
or requests for paper copies of, the Final SEIS may be made 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

[[Page 4343]]

in the future through more detailed risk analyses conducted as part of 
NASA's and the DOE's 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 
SEIS.

Calvin F. Williams,
Associate Administrator, Office of Strategic Infrastructure, Mission 
Support Directorate.
[FR Doc. 2020-01179 Filed 1-23-20; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 7510-13-P