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National Environmental Policy Act; Constellation Program
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[Federal Register: September 26, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 186)]
[Notices]
[Page 56183-56186]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr26se06-113]
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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[Notice (06-074)]
National Environmental Policy Act; Constellation Program
AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) and to conduct scoping for the Constellation Program.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as
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amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental
Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA
(40 CFR parts 1500-1508), NASA's NEPA policy and procedures (14 CFR
part 1216, subpart 1216.3), and Executive Order 12114, NASA intends to
prepare a Programmatic EIS for the implementation of the Constellation
Program. The Constellation Program encompasses NASA's initial efforts
to extend a human presence throughout the Solar System as President
George W. Bush outlined in his Vision for Space Exploration. Major
elements of the Constellation Program are currently focused on
providing the capability to transport humans and cargo first to the
International Space Station (ISS), and then at a later date to the Moon
in support of lunar exploration missions. These activities would
provide the framework for future human exploration of the Moon, Mars
and other destinations in the Solar System in the decades to come.
The design, development, test, and production of the vehicles
needed to transport humans and cargo, the design and development of the
infrastructure necessary to support their use in missions, and the
early mission applications of these vehicles form the basis of the
Proposed Action and alternatives to be analyzed in the Constellation
Programmatic EIS. The No Action Alternative is to not implement the
Constellation Program. Present plans call for operational missions to
the ISS no later than 2014 and human missions to the Moon no later than
2020. Launches are proposed to take place from John F. Kennedy Space
Center (KSC), Florida. Analysis of potential landing areas for
returning spacecraft is at a very early stage.
NASA will hold public scoping meetings as part of the NEPA process
associated with development of the Programmatic EIS. Public meeting
locations and dates identified at this time are provided under
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION below.
DATES: Interested parties are invited to submit comments on
environmental issues and concerns, preferably in writing, on or before
November 13, 2006, to assure full consideration during the scoping process.
ADDRESSES: Comments submitted by mail should be addressed to ZA/
Environmental Manager, Constellation Program, NASA Lyndon B. Johnson
Space Center, 2101 NASA Parkway, Houston, Texas 77058. Comments may be
submitted via e-mail to nasa-cxeis@mail.nasa.gov. Comments may also be
submitted via telephone at (toll free) 1-866-662-7243.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Constellation Programmatic EIS by e-
mail addressed to nasa-cxeis@mail.nasa.gov, by telephone at (toll free)
1-866-662-7243, or by mail addressed to ZA/Environmental Manager,
Constellation Program, NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA
Parkway, Houston, Texas 77058. Additional Constellation Program
information may also be found on the internet at NASA Web sites
including http://www.nasa.gov/constellation Information specific to the
Constellation Program NEPA process may be found at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/main/eis.html.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On January 14, 2004, President George W.
Bush announced a new Vision for Space Exploration setting the long-term
goals and objectives for the Nation's space exploration efforts. The
underlying objective of the President's vision is to advance the
Nation's scientific, security, and economic interests through a robust
space exploration program. The President identified three goals as
needed to meet this objective. First, the Nation will fulfill its
obligation to support the ISS. Secondly, a new spacecraft capable of
transporting humans, the Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) (recently named
``Orion'' by NASA), will be developed, tested, and deployed. Finally,
the Nation will undertake a human mission to the Moon by 2020.
The President tasked NASA as the lead agency in developing the
plans, programs, and activities required to implement the Vision for
Space Exploration. To achieve these goals, NASA intends to pursue the
following initiatives:
--Implement a sustained and affordable human and robotic program to
explore the Moon, Mars, and other destinations in the Solar System,
--Extend a human presence across the Solar System, starting with a
return of humans to the Moon by 2020 in preparation for human
exploration of Mars and other Solar System destinations,
--Develop innovative technologies, knowledge, and infrastructures both
to explore and to support decisions about the destinations for human
exploration, and
--Promote international and commercial participation in this new space
exploration program.
NASA has formulated a comprehensive program directed at
accomplishing the key actions in pursuit of human exploration
activities, the Constellation Program. The proposed framework for
implementation of the Constellation Program has been established
through studies addressed in NASA's Exploration Systems Architecture
Study (ESAS) released in November of 2005. The ESAS identified the key
technologies required to enable NASA to continue to support the ISS, to
undertake human exploration missions to the Moon, and to prepare for
human missions to Mars and ultimately to other destinations in the
Solar System. The ESAS also outlined the specific actions NASA proposes
to take in implementing the President's Vision for Space Exploration.
The ESAS recommended the development of two Space Shuttle-derived
launch vehicles capable of supporting Orion operations to the ISS, the
Moon, and Mars. The Proposed Action would use a Space Shuttle-derived
set of launch vehicles. The first of these vehicles, the Crew Launch
Vehicle (recently designated by NASA as ``Ares-I'') would carry human
explorers and/or cargo aboard Orion to low-Earth orbit. Ares-I would be
a two-stage rocket configuration topped by the Orion: The first stage
would be a modified version of a Space Shuttle reusable solid rocket
motor, and the upper stage would use a liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen
fueled engine derived from the upper stage engine used on the Saturn V
during the Apollo Program. Orion would consist of an Apollo-like
capsule which includes a crew module, a service module, and a launch
abort system. Orion launched aboard the Ares-I would be able to dock
with the ISS. Orion would also be able to dock with the cargo launched
aboard the second vehicle, the Cargo Launch Vehicle (recently
designated as ``Ares-V'' by NASA). Ares-V would also be a two-stage
rocket configuration. The first stage would consist of two of the solid
rocket motors used on Ares-I and a single core liquid propulsion stage.
The core propulsion stage would consist of a central booster tank,
derived from the Space Shuttle external tank, which provides fuel for
five liquid oxygen/liquid hydrogen fueled engines. The upper stage,
called the Earth Departure Stage, would be powered by the same engine
used on the upper stage of the Ares-I and would provide the capability
to propel a human mission from Earth orbit to the Moon and later to
Mars. Ares-V would be capable of delivering large-scale hardware and
materials to Earth orbit. Items delivered could range from materials
for establishing a permanent Moon base to food, fresh
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water, and other staples needed to extend a human presence beyond Earth
orbit. It is the development and testing of these vehicles, the
infrastructure necessary to support their use in missions, and the
early mission applications of these vehicles that form the basis of the
Proposed Action. More complete descriptions of the planned Orion, Ares-
I, and Ares-V are available via the internet at
http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/exploration/spacecraft/index.html.
As the Proposed Action to accomplish the President's Vision for
Space Exploration, NASA proposes to continue planning for and to
implement major elements of the Constellation Program focused on
providing for transport of humans and cargo first to the ISS and then
at a later date to the Moon in support of lunar exploration missions.
These activities would also provide the framework for future human
exploration of Mars and other destinations in the Solar System in the
decades to come.
NASA's Proposed Action would consist of six major projects: Project
Orion, Launch Vehicle (i.e., Ares-I and Ares-V) Projects, Ground
Operations Project, Mission Operations Project, Extravehicular Vehicle
Activity (EVA) Project, and Advanced Projects. For Project Orion this
Programmatic EIS will focus on production, flight testing, and mission
operation of Orion. For the Launch Vehicle Projects, the focus will be
on design, development, production, testing (including flight tests),
and mission operations of the new Ares-I and Ares-V launch vehicles.
The Ground Operations Project discussion will focus on launch
processing and launch operations for each of the two launch vehicles
including potential launch site modifications and new construction
associated with launch site modifications at KSC, recovery of Orion and
her crew after missions. The Missions Operations Project discussion
will focus on the infrastructure necessary to accomplish missions:
astronaut and flight controller training facilities, control centers,
and communication centers. The EVA Project discussion will focus on the
development of spacesuits and EVA related tools and equipment. The
Advanced Projects discussion will focus on the requirements and early
design of future Constellation program systems. These systems would
support lunar landers and surface applications as well as Mars
transportation, landers, and surface operations. The EVA Project and
Advanced Projects are at a very early stage of planning and
development. As a result they will be discussed only generally in this
Programmatic EIS, and NASA will consider the need for additional NEPA
documentation as such systems are considered for implementation and
more specific information becomes available.
Orion and Ares-I would be used on missions to support the ISS once
the Space Shuttle has been retired. It is anticipated that they would
be used to ferry human and cargo to the ISS no later than 2014 with
missions continuing throughout the life of the ISS. Orion, Ares-I, and
Ares-V would be used for lunar missions to be undertaken no later than
2020. The Programmatic EIS will address only the ISS support missions
and early human lunar missions through the early 2020s. While
additional human missions to the Moon and, later, to Mars are
envisioned for the Constellation Program, the nature and scope of these
missions and resources needed to support them are speculative at this
time. NASA anticipates that tiered NEPA documentation may need to be
prepared for specific activities and specific missions as planning matures.
To satisfy the objective that Ares-I and Orion be able to support
ISS no later than 2014, a limited number of long lead-time activities
that could affect the environment need to be initiated before it is
likely that the Constellation Programmatic EIS process will be
completed. Such activities have been or will be the subject of separate
NEPA documentation before final decisions are reached as to whether to
proceed with them. These include a Finding of No Significant Impact for
the Development of the Crew Exploration Vehicle signed on August 29,
2006 (published in the Federal Register on September 1, 2006 (71 FR
52169)), the proposed NASA Launch Abort System Test Program, and
proposed limited new construction and modification to existing
facilities to support early testing of Ares-I and Orion at KSC.
The Constellation Program is a large endeavor that would require
NASA to make use of personnel and resources at several NASA locations.
Under NASA's Proposed Action, Constellation Program activities would be
expected to occur at the following NASA sites:
--Ames Research Center; Santa Clara County, California,
--Dryden Flight Research Center; Edwards Air Force Base, California,
--Glenn Research Center; Cleveland, Ohio,
--Goddard Space Flight Center; Greenbelt, Maryland,
--Jet Propulsion Laboratory; Pasadena, California,
--Johnson Space Center; Houston, Texas,
--Kennedy Space Center; Brevard County, Florida,
--Langley Research Center; Hampton, Virginia,
--Marshall Space Flight Center; Huntsville, Alabama,
--Michoud Assembly Facility; New Orleans, Louisiana,
--Stennis Space Center; Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, and
--White Sands Test Facility (and the U.S. Army White Sands Missile
Range), New Mexico.
Development activities would also be expected to occur at
contractor facilities, including, but not necessarily limited to,
potential rocket motor development, manufacturing and testing at Pratt
& Whitney Rocketdyne; Canoga Park, California and ATK Thiokol, Brigham
City, Utah.
Alternatives to be considered in this Programmatic EIS will
include, but not necessarily be limited to other launch vehicle
systems, other means to support the ISS, alternative Orion landing
regimes and sites, and the No Action Alternative (i.e., NASA would not
implement the Constellation Program).
NASA anticipates that the areas of potential environmental impact
of most interest to the public would be: air quality; water quality;
plant and animal life (including endangered species); noise and
vibration related to, but not limited to, launch vehicle production,
engine and motor tests, launch tests, and mission launches; potential
impacts on cultural and historical resources at the involved NASA
facilities; socioeconomic impacts associated with the potential
increase and decrease of the workforce at various locations throughout
the country; and sonic booms and other impacts associated with the
return of Orion to Earth.
NASA also plans on holding a series of public meetings to provide
information on the Constellation Programmatic EIS and to solicit public
comments. The meetings that have been scheduled to date are:
--October 18, 2006, 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. at the Florida Solar Energy
Center (1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, Florida--University of Central
Florida).
--October 20, 2006, 1 p.m. in the Everglades/Yellowstone Rooms at the
Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill (400 New Jersey Avenue, NW.,
Washington DC).
--October 24, 2006, 6 p.m. at the Little America Hotel (500 South Main
Street, Salt Lake City, Utah).
The Programmatic EIS will analyze the potential environmental impacts
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associated with landing Orion at a general open ocean or terrestrial
site in the Western continental U.S. However, at this time NASA is
still conducting early technical analyses of the relative feasibility
and desirability of returning Orion to Earth in the open ocean or at
terrestrial landing sites in the Western continental U.S. As a result,
the number of potential landing sites is so large that it is not
practical to address specific sites during the present scoping period.
However, NASA welcomes any public comments or concerns related to
potential environmental impacts of ocean landings or landings in the
Western continental U.S. At such time as the technical analyses of
landing alternatives become more mature, NASA may reopen the public
scoping period as it relates to landing sites. Alternatively, if such
results are not available during the Programmatic EIS process, NASA
will prepare tiered NEPA documentation that will involve a public
scoping process.
Written public input on alternatives and environmental issues and
concerns associated with the Constellation Program that should be
addressed in the Programmatic EIS are hereby requested.
Olga M. Dominguez,
Assistant Administrator for Infrastructure and Administration.
[FR Doc. E6-15766 Filed 9-25-06; 8:45 am]
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