44490 Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 162 / Thursday, August 21, 1997 / Notices

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (97–111)]

National Environmental Policy Act;

Advanced Space Transportation

Program

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Notice of availability of final

environmental impact statement (FEIS)

for the Engine Technology Support for

NASA’s Advanced Space

Transportation Program.

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National

Environmental Policy Act of 1969

(NEPA), as amended (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), and NASA

policy and procedures (14 CFR part

1216, subpart 1216.3), NASA has

prepared and issued a FEIS for the

Engine Technology Support of NASA’s

Advanced Space Transportation

Program. The proposed action by NASA

is to test new and advanced engines,

components, and to modify facilities to

support the programmatic development

of future launch vehicles. NASA is

considering a wide variety of liquidfueled engines to accommodate the

propulsion requirements of new space

vehicle(s). The primary sites being

evaluated for the testing activities are

NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center

(MSFC) in Huntsville, Alabama, and

John C. Stennis Space Center (SSC) in

Hancock, Mississippi. In addition,

Edwards Air Force Base near Lancaster

County, California, is also being

considered as a potential test site.

DATES: NASA will take no final action

on the proposed testing of new and

advanced engines, components, and

modification of facilities for the Engine

Technology Support for NASA’s

Advanced Space Transportation

Program before September 22, 1997, or

30 days from the date of publication in

the Federal Register of the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency’s

notice of availability of the Engine

Technology Support for NASA’s

Advanced Space Transportation

Program FEIS, whichever is later.

ADDRESSES: The FEIS may be reviewed

at the following locations:

(a) NASA Headquarters, Library,

Room 1J20, 300 E Street SW,

Washington, DC 20546.

(b) Spaceport U.S.A., Room 2001,

John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL

32899. Please call Lisa Fowler

beforehand at 407–867–2497 so that

arrangements can be made.

(c) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors

Lobby, Building 249, 4800 Oak Grove

Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (828–354–

5179).

(d) Huntsville Library, 915 Monroe

Street, SW, Huntsville, AL 35801.

(e) Huntsville Library, Madison

Branch, 181, Hughes Road, Suite 6,

Madison, AL 35758.

(f) Triana Town Hall, 101 Main Street,

Triana, AL 35758.

(g) Hancock County Library, 312,

Highway 90, Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.

(h) Margaret Reed Crosby Memorial

Library, 900 Goodyear Boulevard,

Picayune, MS 39466

(i) St. Tammany Parish Library, 555

Robert Avenue, Slidell, LA 70458

(j) Palmdale City Library, 700 East

Palmdale Boulevard, Palmdale,

California 93550

In addition, the FEIS may be

examined at the following NASA

locations by contacting the pertinent

Freedom of Information Act Office:

(d) NASA, Ames Research Center,

Moffett Field, CA 94035 (415–604–

4190).

(e) NASA, Dryden Flight Research

Center, Edwards, CA 93523 (805–258–

3448).

(f) NASA, Goddard Space Flight

Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301–286–

0730).

(g) NASA, Johnson Space Center,

Houston, TX 77058 (713–483–8612).

(h) NASA, Langley Research Center,

Hampton, VA 23665 (757–864–2497).

(i) NASA, Lewis Research Center,

21000 Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH

44135 (216–433–2222).

(j) NASA, Marshall Space Flight

Center, AL 35812 (205–544–0031).

(k) NASA, Stennis Space Center, MS

39529 (601–688–2164).

Limited copies of the FEIS are

available, on a first request basis, by

contacting Dr. Rebecca McCaleb,

Director, Environmental Engineering

and Management Office, Code AE01,

Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama

at the address or telephone number

indicated below.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Dr. Rebecca McCaleb, Director,

Environmental Engineering and

Management Office, Code AE01,

Marshall Space Flight Center,

Huntsville, AL 35812; telephone 205–

544–4367; or Mr. Ron Magee,

Environmental Officer, Code GAOO,

Stennis Space Center, MS 39529;

telephone 601–688–7384.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To meet

the technical and programmatic

challenges of developing a new space

vehicle(s), key advanced technologies in

propulsion systems need to be explored.

The activities would be designed to

demonstrate the technology maturity

levels necessary to reduce the

development risk of the selected

propulsion system(s) to an acceptable

level and to produce a highly operable,

high thrust-to-weight propulsion

system(s). Therefore, NASA is

proposing to develop and test liquid

engines and components that could be

used in the final configuration(s) of a

new space vehicle(s). Engines under

consideration would use liquid oxygen

as the oxidizer. The fuel would be

liquid hydrogen, kerosene, or a

combination of the two. NASA’s

preferred alternative is to primarily

conduct the propulsion testing at SSC

with some engine system component

testing at MSFC.

The reasonable alternative under

consideration for testing these engines

include, but are not limited to, those

located at MSFC and SSC. Existing test

facilities at these two NASA Centers

may need to be upgraded to

accommodate objectives. Modifications

may include addition of a kerosene tank

on the test stand(s), a common

structural and functional interface, and

an engine mounting adapter. Many

aspects of the program would be similar

to test activities of propulsion

undertaken in the 1960’s associated

with the Apollo program.

All test facilities at MSFC are located

in the southern portion of the Center

and in the center of Redstone Arsenal’s

15,400 hectares (38,000 acres). The

closest private property is

approximately 4 kilometers (2.4 miles)

from the proposed MSFC test facilities.

SSC occupies 5,585 hectares (13,800

acres) and is surrounded by 50,616

hectares (125,071 acres) of acoustical

buffer zone primarily in western

Hancock County, Mississippi and

eastern St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana.

Alternatives for this proposal include,

but are not necessarily limited to: (1)

Alternative test sites; (2) test facility

construction and modification options;

(3) fuels, engines and components; (4)

disapproval of the proposed activities

(‘‘no action’’).

The FEIS considers potential

environmental impacts associated with

the proposed testing activities and any

needed construction or modification of

facilities. The areas of potential

environmental concern include

primarily impact on air quality and from

noise. However, analyses indicate that

air quality will remain within the

National Ambient Air Quality Standards

at both MSFC and SSC. If MSFC and or

SSC were selected, no substantial

environmental impact is anticipated on

biological resources, threatened and
Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 162 / Thursday, August 21, 1997 / Notices 44491

endangered species, cultural resources,

wetlands, or recreational or scenic areas.

No facilities would be constructed

within the 100 year flood plain.

Comments on the draft environmental

impact statement were solicited from

Federal, State and local agencies,

organizations, and members of the

general public through: (a) Notices

published in the Federal Register—

NASA notice on November 14, 1996 (61

FR 58426), and U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency notice on November

15, 1996 (61 FR 58548). Comments

received have been addressed in the

FEIS.

Benita A. Cooper,

Associate Administrator for Management

Systems and Facilities.

[FR Doc. 97–22252 Filed 8–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7510–01–M

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 97–115]

NASA Advisory Council (NAC), Task

Force on International Space Station

Operational Readiness, Task Force on

Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking

Missions; Meeting

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, Pub.

L. 92–463, as amended, the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration

announces a meeting of the NAC Task

Force on International Space Station

Operational Readiness and Task Force

on Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking

Missions.

DATES: September 24, 1997, 2:00 p.m. to

5:00 p.m.

ADDRESSES: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, Room 7W31, 300

E Street, S.W., Washington, DC 20546–

0001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr.

Dennis McSweeney, Code IH, National

Aeronautics and Space Administration,

Washington, DC 20546–0001, 202/358–

4556.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This

meeting will be open to the public up

to the seating capacity of the room. The

agenda for the meeting is as follows:

—Review the readiness of the STS–86

Shuttle-Mir Rendezvous and Docking

Mission;

—Review of Task Force Fact-Finding

meeting held in Denver, Colorado,

July 23–24, 1997;

—Review of Task Force Fact-Finding

meeting held in Houston, Texas,

August 25, 1997;

—Review of joint meeting with Russia’s

Advisory Expert Council, September

15–19, 1997, Moscow, Russia.

It is imperative that the meeting be

held on these dates to accommodate the

scheduling priorities of the key

participants. Visitors will be requested

to sign a visitors register.

Dated: August 14, 1997.

Leslie M. Nolan,

Advisory Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–22080 Filed 8–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7510–01–M

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 97–118]

NASA Advisory Council (NAC),

Aeronautics and Space Transportation

Technology Advisory Committee

(ASTTAC); Propulsion Systems

Subcommittee; Meeting

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, Pub.

L. 92–463, as amended, the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration

announces a NAC, Aeronautics and

Space Transportation Technology

Advisory Committee, Propulsion

System Subcommittee meeting.

DATES: September 15, 1997, 8:00 a.m. to

5 p.m., September 16, 1997. 8:00 a.m. to

5 p.m., and September 17, 1997, 8:00

a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, Lewis Research

Center, Building 3, Room 215, 21000

Brookpark Road, Cleveland, OH 44135.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr.

Carol J. Russo, National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, Lewis Research

Center, 21000 Brookpark Road,

Cleveland, OH 44135, 216/433–2965..

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

meeting will be open to the public up

to the seating capacity of the room. The

agenda for the meeting is as follows:

—NASA Aeronautics Program

Overviews

—NASA Lewis Aeropropulsion

Overview

—Propulsion Systems Research Program

Reviews

—Review of Aeroacoustics and

Emissions Work

—Restructured Base Overview

It is imperative that the meeting

beheld on these dates to accommodate

the scheduling priorities of the key

participants.

Dated: August 13, 1997.

Leslie M. Nolan,

Advisory Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–22098 Filed 8–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7510–01–M

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND

SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice (97–121)]

NASA Advisory Council, Aeronautics

and Space Transportation Technology

Advisory Committee, Flight Research

Subcommittee; Meeting

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of meeting.

SUMMARY: In accordance with the

Federal Advisory Committee Act, Pub.

L. 92–463, as amended, the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration

announces a NASA Advisory Council,

Aeronautics and Space Transportation

Technology Advisory Committee, Flight

Research Subcommittee meeting.

DATES: September 23, 1997, 8:00 a.m. to

5 p.m.; and September 24, 1997, 8:00

a.m. to 5 p.m.

ADDRESSES: National Aeronautics and

Space Administration, Dryden Flight

Research Center, Building 4800,

Executive Council Room, Edwards, CA

93535.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Mr. Dwain A. Deets, National

Aeronautics and Space Administration,

Dryden Flight Research Center,

Edwards, CA 93523, 805/258–3136.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The

meeting will be open to the public up

to the seating capacity of the room.

Agenda topics for the meeting are as

follows:

—Overview of Restructured Program

—Review of Flight Research R&T Base

Program

—Review of Flight Projects

It is imperative that the meeting be

held on these dates to accommodate the

scheduling priorities of the key

participants. Visitors will be requested

to sign a visitors register.

Dated: August 13, 1997.

Leslie M. Nolan,

Advisory Committee Management Officer.

[FR Doc. 97–22101 Filed 8–20–97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 7510–01–M