[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 145 (Wednesday, July 29, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40545-40547]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-20265]


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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[Notice 98-100]


National Environmental Policy Act; New Millennium Program

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

ACTION: Finding of no significant impact.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as 
amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321, et seq.), the Council on Environmental 
Quality (CEQ) 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 made a finding of no significant 
impact (FONSI) with respect to the proposed New Millennium Program 
(NMP) and individual missions (as defined and described in the 
associated Programmatic Environmental Assessment (PEA)), which would 
involve a series of Earth orbiting and deep space spacecraft to be 
launched over the time period of 1998 through 2010 from Vandenberg Air 
Force Base (VAFB), California, and Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), 
Florida.

DATES: Comments on the FONSI must be provided in writing to NASA on or 
before August 28, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to Dr. William L. 
Piotrowski, Senior Program Executive, Mission & Payload Development 
Division, Code SD, NASA Headquarters,

[[Page 40546]]

Washington, DC 20546-0001. The PEA prepared for the New Millennium 
Program which supports this FONSI may be reviewed at the following 
locations:
    (a) NASA Headquarters, Library, Room 1J20, 300 E Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20546 (202-358-0167).
    (b) Vandenberg Air Force Base, Technical Library, Building 7015, 
806 13th Street, Vandenberg AFB, CA 93437.
    (c) Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Visitors Lobby, Building 249, 4800 
Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (818-354-5179).
    (d) Spaceport USA, Room 2001, John F. Kennedy Space Center, 
Florida, 32899. Please call Lisa Fowler beforehand at 407-867-2497 so 
that arrangements can be made.
    The PEA may also be examined at the following NASA locations by 
contacting the pertinent Freedom of Information Act Office:
    (e) NASA, Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (650-604-
4191).
    (f) NASA, Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA 93523 (805-
258-2663).
    (g) NASA, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301-
286-0730).
    (h) NASA, Johnson Space Center, Houston, TX 77058 (281-483-8612).
    (i) NASA, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA 23665 (757-864-
2497).
    (j) NASA, Lewis Research Center, 21000 Brookpark Rd, Cleveland, OH 
44135 (216-433-2755).
    (k) NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL 35812 (256-
544-5549).
    (l) NASA, Stennis Space Center, MS 39529 (228-688-2164).
    A limited number of copies of the PEA are available by contacting 
Dr. William L. Piotrowski at the address or telephone number indicated 
herein.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. William L. Piotrowski, 202-358-
1544.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NASA has reviewed the PEA prepared for the 
NMP and has determined that it represents an accurate and adequate 
analysis of the scope and level of associated environmental impacts. 
The PEA is hereby incorporated by reference in this FONSI.
    NASA is proposing to develop, build and launch a series of Earth 
orbiting and deep space spacecraft over the time period of 1998 through 
2010 from VAFB, California and CCAS, Florida. NMP spacecraft would be 
designed to validate essential technologies and capabilities which 
contribute to reducing the cost of future space and Earth science 
missions. Within the primary objective of technology validation, as 
much science as possible would be conducted. The program focuses on 
advanced technologies (i.e., instrumentation and operations), which 
offer the potential to contribute significantly to reducing the cost of 
future space and Earth science missions while increasing their relative 
capability in achieving scientific objectives. The investment now in 
the NMP could begin to provide tangible benefits, especially in 
validating solar electric propulsion, before the year 2000. The 
reduction in size of spacecraft and the increase in capability that NMP 
is designed to foster could bring about future economic benefits for 
the U.S. Space Program.
    Spacecraft final assembly, propellant loading, and checkout of 
payload systems would be performed in existing Payload Processing 
Facilities at VAFB and CCAS. The spacecraft would then be transported 
to an existing Space Launch Complex at VAFB or CCAS where it would be 
integrated with the launch vehicle. Due to varying payload weights and 
mission specific requirements, NMP spacecraft may require different 
launch vehicles. The launch vehicle selected as an environmental upper 
``bounding case'' (i.e., maximum expected environmental impacts), is 
the Delta II 7925. The NMP Program would not increase launch rates at 
CCAS and VAFB above existing or previously approved levels.
    In addition to developing and validating spacecraft, 
instrumentation, and operations technologies, NMP is planned to 
demonstrate new types of management and engineering techniques that 
reduce development, launch, and operations costs. Computer-aided 
design, and concurrent project engineering and design are being used to 
accelerate and enhance the design process to lead to rapid 
implementation. NMP flight-validated technologies may also find their 
way into the consumer market for use in such applications as autonomous 
rail transportation systems, new microsensors for automotive and 
biomedical technology, and high quality imagery and enhanced memory 
media for computer systems.
    Alternatives to the proposed action that were considered included 
those that: (1) Utilize an alternate launch vehicle, or (2) cancel the 
NMP (the ``no action'' alternative). Of the launch vehicles evaluated, 
U.S. launch vehicles proposed for launch of NMP spacecraft 
(specifically the Delta II, Titan IIG, Athena, Taurus, and the Pegasus) 
are best suited for the NMP for the following reasons: (1) The 
alternative launch vehicles examined are approximately equal in their 
potential impacts to the environment, and these impacts are not 
individually or cumulatively significant; (2) proposed U.S. launch 
vehicles closely match NMP performance requirements and allow for 
variations in payload size and weight; and/or (3) selected launch 
vehicles cost the same or less than the examined alternatives and are 
similar in terms of reliability.
    Maximum expected impacts to the human environment associated with 
the program are bounded by and arise almost entirely from the normal 
launch of the Delta II 7925. Air emissions from the exhaust produced by 
the solid propellant graphite epoxy motors and liquid first stage 
primarily include carbon monoxide, hydrochloric acid, aluminum oxide in 
soluble and insoluble forms, carbon dioxide, and deluge water mixed 
with propellant by-products. Air impacts would be short-term and not 
significant. Short-term water quality and noise impacts, as well as 
short-term effects on plants and animals would occur only in the 
vicinity of the launch complex. There would be no impact on threatened 
or endangered species or critical habitat, cultural resources, wetlands 
or floodplains. The NMP would follow the NASA guidelines regarding 
orbital debris and minimizing the risk of uncontrolled reentry into the 
Earth's atmosphere. Accident scenarios have also been addressed and 
indicate no potential for substantial impact to the human environment. 
None of the NMP missions covered under the NMP PEA will have 
radioactive materials aboard the spacecraft, except for the possibility 
of very small quantities on certain missions for instrumentation 
purposes. Consequently, no potential substantial adverse impacts from 
radioactive substances are anticipated. The PEA provides a set of 
questions that must be addressed in determining whether or not a 
proposed future NMP mission falls within the scope of the PEA and this 
FONSI. No other individual or cumulative impacts of environmental 
concern have been identified.
    The level and scope of environmental impacts associated with the 
launch of NMP spacecraft are well within the envelope of impacts that 
have been addressed in previous FONSI's concerning other launch 
vehicles and spacecraft. NMP spacecraft would not increase launch rates 
nor utilize launch systems beyond the scope of approved programs at 
VAFB or CCAS. No NMP-specific processing or launch activities have been 
identified that would require new permits and/or mitigation measures

[[Page 40547]]

beyond those currently in place or in coordination at VAFB and CCAS. No 
significant new circumstances or information relevant to environmental 
concerns associated with the launch vehicle have been identified which 
would affect the earlier findings. As specific spacecraft and missions 
are fully defined, they will be reviewed in light of the NMP PEA. If 
NASA determines that future payloads have the potential for 
substantially different environmental impacts, further NEPA reviews 
will be conducted and documented, as appropriate.
    On the basis of the NMP PEA, NASA has determined that the 
environmental impacts associated with the NMP and the specified 
missions identified as within the scope of the PEA would not 
individually or cumulatively have a significant impact on the quality 
of the human environment. NASA will take no final action prior to the 
expiration of the 30-day comment period.
Wesley T. Huntress, Jr.,
Associate Administrator for Space Science.

Michael R. Luther,
Deputy Associate Administrator for Earth Science.
[FR Doc. 98-20265 Filed 7-28-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-01-P