Notice2022-08088
National Environmental Policy Act; Mars Sample Return Campaign
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
April 15, 2022
Issuing agencies
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Abstract
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 will prepare a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the Mars Sample Return (MSR) Campaign; cooperating agencies for this effort include the U.S. Air Force (in accordance with, Environmental Impact Analysis Process), U.S. Army, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The PEIS will provide information related to the potential environmental impacts associated with the proposed return of Mars samples to Earth for scientific analysis. Potential impacts to be analyzed in the PEIS include those associated with ground disturbance from landing site preparation, and sample vehicle landing and recovery efforts with respect to natural, biological and cultural resources. NASA will also assess potential impacts to the human and natural environment associated with loss of containment of Mars sample materials. Additional information about the MSR Campaign may be found on the internet at: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr.
Full Text
<html>
<head>
<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 73 (Friday, April 15, 2022)</title>
</head>
<body><pre>
[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 73 (Friday, April 15, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 22578-22581]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-08088]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION
[Document Number NASA-22-024; Docket Number-NASA-2022-0002]
National Environmental Policy Act; Mars Sample Return Campaign
AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
ACTION: Notice of intent; notice of meetings; request for comments.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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 will prepare a Programmatic
Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) for the Mars Sample Return (MSR)
Campaign; cooperating agencies for this effort include the U.S. Air
Force (in accordance with, Environmental Impact Analysis Process), U.S.
Army, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services--Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The PEIS
will provide information related to the potential environmental impacts
associated with the proposed return of Mars samples to Earth for
scientific analysis. Potential impacts to be analyzed in the PEIS
include those associated with ground disturbance from landing site
preparation, and sample vehicle landing and recovery efforts with
respect to natural, biological and cultural resources. NASA will also
assess potential impacts to the human and natural environment
associated with loss of containment of Mars sample materials.
Additional information about the MSR Campaign may be found on the
internet at: <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr">http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr</a>.
DATES: The public scoping period for this PEIS is for a period of 30
days from publication of this notice. Fact sheets and other information
regarding the NEPA and scoping process for the MSR Campaign will be
made available at the following website beginning on April 15, 2022:
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-sample-return-campaign">www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-sample-return-campaign</a>.
NASA will hold two VIRTUAL public scoping meetings to solicit
comments regarding the Proposed Action and the environmental issues
which NASA should consider in the PEIS. The virtual meetings will be
held on May 4, 2022; 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Mountain) and May 5; 6 p.m.-8 p.m.
(Mountain) at the following URL: <a href="https://jpl.webex.com/meet/msr">https://jpl.webex.com/meet/msr</a>. The
call-in number for audio-only users is: +1-510-210-8882.
The meetings will begin with a brief welcome message followed by a
10-minute NASA presentation describing the purpose of the scoping
meetings, project schedule, opportunities for public involvement,
proposed action and alternatives summary, and programmatic approach. A
20-minute technical presentation regarding the MSR Campaign will then
be provided. After the formal presentations will be a 30-minute virtual
``Open House'' and question and answer session where meeting
participants can ask questions of the panel presenters. After the
technical presentations and question and answer session, the official
scoping comment submission portion of the meetings will begin. The
scoping comment submission session will be 55-
[[Page 22579]]
minutes, where members of the public may provide up to a three-minute
comment. The virtual public meetings may end later than the stated time
depending on the number of persons who wish to submit a comment. At
this time, NASA does not intend to provide English-language translation
unless specifically requested at least one week prior to the meetings.
NASA expects to release a Draft PEIS for public and agency review
and comment in Fall 2022, and a Record of Decision in Spring/Summer
2023.
ADDRESSES: Advance registration to attend or provide a comment at
either of the virtual public meetings is not required. As noted above
in DATES, public meeting attendees may submit comments during the
public meeting, or by other means described below throughout the 30-day
comment period. Please provide your comments no later than May15, 2022
to ensure consideration in the Draft PEIS.
Comments must be identified with Docket No. NASA-2022-0002 and may
be sent to NASA as follows:
<bullet> Federal E-Rulemaking Portal: <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>.
Follow the online instructions for submitting comments. Please note
that NASA will post all comments on the internet without changes,
including any personal information provided.
<bullet> By mail to Steve Slaten, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory,
4800 Oak Grove Drive, M/S: 200-119, Pasadena, California 91109-8099.
We encourage you to submit comments electronically through the
Federal eRulemaking Portal at <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. If you submit
your comments electronically, it is not necessary to also submit a hard
copy. All comments received will be posted without change to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>. Before including your address, phone number, email
address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, be
advised that your entire comment--including any personal identifying
information you provide--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.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Steve Slaten, National Aeronautics
and Space Administration, by electronic mail at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#7538140706580614180519105807100100071b581b10051435191c0601065b1b1406145b121a03"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="df92beadacf2acbeb2afb3baf2adbaabaaadb1f2b1baafbe9fb3b6acabacf1b1beacbef1b8b0a9">[email protected]</span></a> or by telephone at 202-358-0016. For questions
regarding viewing the Docket, please call Docket Operations, telephone:
202-366-9317 or 202-366-9826.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: NASA, in coordination with the European
Space Agency (ESA), proposes to conduct a campaign to retrieve a
scientifically selected set of samples (i.e., Martian rocks, regolith,
and atmosphere), acquired and cached on the surface of Mars by the
Perseverance rover, and return them to Earth for scientific analysis
and research. The proposed landing and recovery location for the Mars
samples is the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR), which is under the
jurisdictional control of the United States Air Force. Additional
Earth-based ground elements associated with sample transportation
(utilizing over-the-road and/or aircraft to transport the samples off
the UTTR) and sample management/research (otherwise referred to as
``curation'') involving the development and operation of a Sample
Return Facility (SRF) are also part of the MSR Campaign mission
architecture.
Virtual Public Meetings and Virtual Open House and Q&A
We encourage you to visit the informational website at
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-sample-return-campaign">www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-sample-return-campaign</a> and attend one or
both of the virtual public scoping meetings to learn about, and comment
on, the proposed MSR Campaign. You will have the opportunity to
verbally submit comments during the virtual public meetings on the
scope and significance of the issues related to the proposed MSR
Campaign that should be addressed in the PEIS.
In order to allow everyone a chance to speak at the virtual public
meetings, we may limit speaker time, extend the meeting hours, or both.
You must identify yourself, and any organization you represent, by
name. Your remarks will be recorded and/or transcribed for inclusion in
the public docket.
Public docket materials will be made available to the public on the
Federal Docket Management System website (<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>).
If you plan to attend one of the virtual public meetings and need
special assistance such as sign language interpretation or closed
captioning, non-English language translator services, or other
reasonable accommodation, please notify the NASA representative
identified above in the FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section at
least seven business days in advance of the virtual public meeting.
Please include your contact information as well as information about
your specific needs.
Request for Comments
We request public comment on this proposal. The comments may relate
to, but are not limited to, the environmental impact of the proposed
action. All comments will be accepted. The virtual public meetings are
not the only opportunity you have to comment on the MSR Campaign
proposed action. In addition to, or in place of, attending one of the
virtual meetings, you may submit comments directly to the Federal
Docket Management System during the public comment period (30 days from
this notice). We will consider all comments and material received
during the 30-day scoping period.
The material presented at the public meetings, received comments,
and associated documentation, as well as the draft and Final PEISs
(when published) are available for viewing at <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-sample-return-campaign">www.nasa.gov/feature/nepa-mars-sample-return-campaign</a>.
Regardless of the method used for submitting comments, all
submissions will be posted without change to the Federal Docket
Management System website (<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">http://www.regulations.gov</a>) and may include
any personal information you provide. Therefore, submitting this
information to the docket makes it public. You may wish to read the
Privacy and Use Notice that is available on the Federal Docket
Management System website (<a href="http://Regulations.gov">Regulations.gov</a>--<a href="https://www.regulations.gov/user-notice">https://www.regulations.gov/user-notice</a>). You may view docket submissions at
the Federal Docket Management System or electronically on the Federal
Docket Management System website.
Background
Information about the MSR Campaign is available at: <a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr">http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/mars-sample-return-msr</a>. Consideration of the
proposed MSR Campaign includes review of the proposed action on the
natural and human environment. For the proposed MSR Campaign, NASA is
coordinating its review with a number of Cooperating Agencies that have
jurisdiction by law over part of the proposed action or have special
expertise with respect to environmental issues related to the proposed
action. NASA is the lead Federal agency for determining the scope of
this review, and in this case, it has been determined that review will
include preparation of a PEIS. This NOI is required by 40 CFR 1501.9.
It briefly describes the proposed action, possible alternatives, and
our proposed scoping process. You can address any questions about the
proposed action, the scoping process, or the PEIS to the NASA project
[[Page 22580]]
manager identified in the notice (see FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT).
Proposed Action and Alternatives
The proposed action requiring environmental review is NASA's
proposed MSR Campaign (see below: Summary of the MSR Campaign). The
alternative to undertaking the MSR Campaign is to not undertake the
campaign, which for purposes of environmental review under NEPA, is the
``no-action'' alternative.
Scoping Process
Public scoping is an early and open process for identifying and
determining the scope of issues to be addressed in the PEIS. Scoping
begins with this notice and continues through the conclusion of the
public comment period (see DATES). Once the scoping process is
complete, NASA will prepare a draft PEIS. When complete, NASA will
publish a Federal Register notice announcing public availability of the
Draft PEIS. (If you want that notice to be sent to you, please contact
the NASA project manager identified in FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT.) You will have an opportunity to review and comment on the
Draft PEIS. NASA and other appropriate Cooperating Agencies will
consider the received comments and prepare the Final PEIS. As with the
Draft PEIS, we will announce the availability of the Final PEIS and
give you an opportunity for review and comment before a Record of
Decision is announced.
Summary of the MSR Campaign
Overall, the MSR Campaign spans six elements: Four flight elements,
which include the Perseverance Rover, two Sample Retrieval Landers
(``Landers''--a Sample Fetch Rover Lander and Mars Ascent Vehicle
Lander) and their subcomponents, and the Earth Return Orbiter (the
``Orbiter''), its subcomponents and recovery of the samples; and two
ground elements, which include sample transportation and an SRF. The
following is an overall summary of the MSR Campaign.
The Perseverance Rover (previously addressed in the Final
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars 2020 Mission)
(see <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/20200115_mars_2020_seis_final_tagged.pdf">https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/atoms/files/20200115_mars_2020_seis_final_tagged.pdf</a>) is currently collecting Mars
samples in environmentally sealed and rigorously engineered tubes and
will eventually deposit select sets of tubes on the planet surface for
later recovery. Specific Lander designs are still under consideration.
NASA anticipates that the Lander payload mass and volume may result in
the need for the equipment to be divided into two payloads, therefore
requiring two separate Landers and launches. At this time, NASA has not
confirmed if the use of Radioisotope Heater Units (RHUs) will be
necessary to ensure that mission needs are met; the RHUs would generate
heat, but no electricity, to support Lander function on the surface of
Mars. If RHUs will be necessary, a payload of up to 20 RHUs may be
included in the Lander designs.
The Landers are proposed for launch from either Cape Canaveral
Space Force Station or Kennedy Space Center (depending on the launch
vehicle yet to be selected). NASA anticipates launch of the Landers in
of either 2026, 2028, or 2030 depending on the status of mission
architecture and launch period availability. NASA anticipates Mars
sample return to Earth approximately five years from launch of the
Landers. The ESA Orbiter launch from French Guiana would then coincide
with the NASA launch(es). All vehicles would transit to Mars. The
Orbiter would enter Mars orbit, and the Landers would land directly on
the Martian surface, similar to the recent Perseverance rover landing,
in the vicinity of one or more sample tube sets. The samples would
consist of approximately 35 tubes weighing about 25 grams each, for a
total sample amount of approximately 525 grams (about 1 pound). Once on
Mars, the Sample Fetch Rover would be deployed. The Sample Fetch Rover
would then retrieve sample tubes left on the surface by Perseverance
and deliver them to the Lander with the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV). If
still operational, the Perseverance rover could also deliver sample
tubes it retained on board directly to the Lander. A Sample Transfer
Arm on the lander would be used to transfer samples from the Sample
Fetch Rover and/or Perseverance rover into the Orbiting Sample
container within the MAV.
The Mars Ascent Vehicle would be launched from the Martian surface
into Mars orbit. Once in orbit, the Mars Ascent Vehicle would deploy
the Orbiting Sample container to rendezvous with the Orbiter. Once at
the Orbiter, the Orbiting Sample container would be captured by the
Capture, Containment, and Return System module. When retrieved by the
Capture, Containment, and Return System module, the Orbiting Sample
container would be stored in redundant containment vessels and placed
in the Earth Entry Vehicle, creating the Earth Entry System (EES). The
Orbiter would then leave Mars orbit and navigate to a trajectory that
would bring it close to Earth without placing itself on an impact
trajectory. After a series of system health and navigation checks, the
Orbiter would then fire its thrusters to achieve a short-lived Earth
return trajectory. Once this trajectory is confirmed and the proper
point is reached, the Capture, Containment, and Return System module
would release the EES on a path to enter the Earth's atmosphere. The
EES would then enter Earth's atmosphere and descend, reaching a
velocity of approximately 35 to 45 meters per second (around 78 to 100
miles per hour) before landing at the UTTR. After EES release, the
Orbiter would navigate to a trajectory that would avoid Earth for over
100 years, ensuring that residual Mars material, if any, associated
with the Orbiter is not returned to Earth.
Prior to EES landing, recovery teams would be staged at strategic
locations surrounding the proposed landing site; the objective being to
contain and recover the EES as quickly as possible. Staging areas would
include communications equipment and vehicles (land and/or air) and
equipment for use in transport to and from the landing site. The
primary staging area would have a mobile containment system (or
``vault''). Once the EES has landed, the recovery team would transit to
the landing site and contain the EES. Because the samples should be
treated as though potentially hazardous until demonstrated otherwise,
the EES would be handled under the highest level of containment,
handling, and transportation regulatory standards. Additionally,
although release of Mars sample particles is considered an off-nominal
event, recovery teams would handle the landing event as though a
release has occurred, thereby ensuring proper containment and
decontamination of the EES and landing site. After arrival of the
recovery team, the landing site would be cordoned off, and a 100-
square-meter (1,076-square-foot) tent would be erected over the EES. As
a precautionary measure, the EES would then be decontaminated, placed
in a protective biohazard plastic bag, and then inserted into a 2-meter
by 2-meter (6.56-foot by 6.56-foot) sealed travel case. The exterior of
the EES travel case would be decontaminated before leaving the tent,
and the EES travel case would be placed on a vehicle and transported to
the roadside staging area and into the vault for shipment to an SRF.
After removal of the EES, the entire contents of the tent and the
landing site would be decontaminated as a precautionary measure.
Samples of the landing site/
[[Page 22581]]
impact area would also be taken for contamination knowledge/biological
knowledge after the EES is removed but before decontamination of the
area. These samples would be transported under containment with the EES
to the SRF for analysis. Prior to, and in support of, EES landing the
proposed landing area would be cleared of old target objects and other
debris (e.g., railroad ties) that pose an impact risk to the EES.
``Planetary protection'' is the discipline/practice of protecting
solar system bodies (e.g., a planet, planetary moon, or asteroid) from
contamination by Earth life and, in the case of sample return missions,
protecting Earth from potential hazards posed by extraterrestrial
matter. For missions returning samples from planetary bodies considered
to potentially harbor life, NASA is required to address Presidential
Directive (PD)/National Security Council (NSC)-25, Scientific or
Technological Experiments with Possible Large-Scale Adverse
Environmental Effects and Launch of Nuclear Systems into Space, by
presenting detailed information regarding the importance and potential
environmental effects of the mission in the MSR Campaign's PEIS. NASA's
planetary protection policies address missions involving samples
returned from various solar system bodies as detailed in NASA Policy
Directive 8020.7G. The NASA policies are guided by the planetary
protection policies published by the international Committee on Space
Research (COSPAR) in response to the United Nations Outer Space Treaty.
NASA Procedural Requirement (NPR) 8715.24, Planetary Protection
Provisions for Robotic Extraterrestrial Missions, provides guidelines
for categorizing missions according to the destination and proposed
activity. NPR 8715.24 also provides specific procedural requirements
for certain mission categories. All missions returning samples from
outside the Earth-Moon system are designated as Category V. Under
Category V, there are two subcategories: Unrestricted Earth Return--
sample return missions from solar system bodies deemed by scientific
consensus to have no extraterrestrial life (e.g., Earth's Moon and
Venus); and Restricted Earth Return (RER)--sample return missions from
solar system bodies deemed by scientific opinion to have a possibility
of harboring indigenous life forms (e.g., Mars or Europa). RER missions
have requirements to break the chain of contact with the target body as
well as isolate and robustly contain restricted samples during all
mission phases through safe receipt and containment on Earth.
Due to the potential for past or present indigenous life forms on
Mars, the sample return portion of the MSR Campaign is expected to be
classified as a Category V Restricted Earth Return activity, which
requires an environmental impact statement under 14 CFR 1216.306. The
PEIS anticipates that this categorization will be established, and the
PEIS' analysis provides for the most conservative approach. The general
scientific consensus is that the Martian surface is too inhospitable
for life to survive there today. It is a freezing landscape with no
liquid water that is continually bombarded with harsh radiation.
Scientists are interested in returning samples that may reveal what the
Martian environment was like billions of years ago, when the planet was
wetter and may have supported microbial life. There is no current
evidence that the samples collected by the Mars 2020 mission from the
first few inches of the Martian surface could contain microorganisms
that would be harmful to Earth's environment. Nevertheless, out of an
abundance of caution and in accordance with NASA policy and
regulations, NASA would implement measures to ensure that the Mars
samples are contained (with redundant layers of containment) so that
they could not impact humans or Earth's environment, and the samples
would remain contained until they are examined and confirmed safe for
distribution to terrestrial science laboratories. NASA and its partners
would use many of the basic principles that biological laboratories use
today to contain, handle, and study materials that are known or
suspected to be dangerous.
Due to the large scope of the MSR Campaign and uncertainty
regarding the timing, location, and environmental impacts of actions
associated with the ground elements, the NEPA analysis will be
conducted in two ``tiers'' (or phases). This approach is endorsed under
both 40 CFR 1501.11 and 14 CFR 1216.307. Tier I, the focus of the PEIS,
will programmatically address the potential impacts associated with the
potential for multiple Lander launches (with the potential for RHUs to
be incorporated into the Landers' design architecture) from either
Kennedy Space Center or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida,
launch of the Orbiter from French Guiana, and return of the Orbiter and
EES to include initial recovery, containment, and handling of the
samples once they reach the Earth's surface (i.e., at the UTTR landing
site). Currently, definitive mission-related requirements associated
with MSR Campaign ground elements for sample transportation and a SRF
are still in the early planning stages of development, but each will be
described to the maximum extent practicable in the PEIS. These aspects
will be addressed programmatically in the Tier I PEIS, to the extent
that information is available, and will be analyzed in more specific
detail in subsequent Tier II NEPA analysis once this information is
available. The Tier I analysis will also address the site-specific
proposal to land the vehicle containing the samples (the EES) at the
UTTR.
Joel Carney,
Assistant Administrator, Office of Strategic Infrastructure.
[FR Doc. 2022-08088 Filed 4-14-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 7510-13-P
</pre><script data-cfasync="false" src="/cdn-cgi/scripts/5c5dd728/cloudflare-static/email-decode.min.js"></script></body>
</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 15, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.