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Final EIS for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission

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Final EIS for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission Volume 1 National Aeronautics and Executive Summary and Space Administration Chapters 1 through 8 November 2006 Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission Cover graphic: artist’s concept of the Mars Science Laboratory Rover operating on the surface of Mars. NASA/JPL FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY MISSION VOLUME 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND CHAPTERS 1 THROUGH 8 Science Mission Directorate National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, DC 20546 November 2006 This page intentionally left blank. ii Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE MARS SCIENCE LABORATORY MISSION ABSTRACT LEAD AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, DC 20546 COOPERATING AGENCY: U.S. Department of Energy Washington, DC 20585 POINT OF CONTACT Mark R. Dahl FOR INFORMATION: Planetary Science Division Science Mission Directorate NASA Headquarters Washington, DC 20546 (202) 358-4800 DATE: November 2006 This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) has been prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, (NEPA) to assist in the decision-making process for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission. This Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a tiered document (Tier 2 EIS) under NASA’s Programmatic EIS for the Mars Exploration Program. The Proposed Action addressed in this FEIS is to continue preparations for and implement the MSL mission. The MSL spacecraft would be launched on an expendable launch vehicle during September – November 2009. The MSL spacecraft would then deliver a large, mobile science laboratory (rover) with advanced instrumentation to a scientifically interesting location on the surface of Mars in 2010. The scientific goals of the MSL mission include assessing the biological potential of at least one selected site on Mars, characterizing the geology and geochemistry of the landing region at all appropriate spatial scales, investigating planetary processes of relevance to past habitability, and characterizing the broad spectrum of the Martian surface radiation environment. The MSL mission would also fulfill NASA’s strategic technology goals of increasing the mass of science payloads delivered to the surface of Mars, expanding access to higher and lower latitudes, increasing precision landing capability, and increasing traverse capability to distances on the order of several kilometers. This FEIS presents descriptions of the proposed MSL mission, spacecraft, and candidate launch vehicle; an overview of the affected environment at and near the launch site; and the potential environmental consequences associated with the Proposed Action and alternatives, including the No Action Alternative. iii Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission This page intentionally left blank. iv Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission has been prepared in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended, (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.); Executive Order 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal Actions; the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR parts 1500-1508); and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA's) NEPA policy and procedures (14 CFR subpart 1216.3). On April 12, 2005, NASA published the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars Exploration Program (the Tier 1 EIS) (NASA 2005a1, 70 FR 19102). The Record of Decision for the Mars Exploration Program (MEP) was rendered by NASA enabling continued planning for the Program, which represents NASA’s overall plans for the robotic exploration of Mars through 2020. This Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the MSL mission is a tiered document (Tier 2 EIS) under the Mars Exploration Program. The purpose of this FEIS is to assist in the decision-making process concerning the Proposed Action and Alternatives, including the No Action Alternative, for the proposed MSL mission, planned for launch in 2009. PURPOSE AND NEED FOR ACTION The MEP is currently being implemented as a sustained series of flight missions to Mars, each of which will provide important, focused scientific return. The MEP is fundamentally a science driven program whose focus is on understanding and characterizing Mars as a dynamic system and ultimately addressing whether life is or was ever a part of that system through a strategy referred to as “follow the water”. The core MEP addresses the highest priority scientific investigations directly related to the Program goals and objectives. Additionally, technology developments and improvements over the course of the MEP program are expected to enable a progressive increase in the payload mass and capability delivered to Mars by program spacecraft, enhance the capability to safely and precisely place payloads at any desired location on the surface, and enable full access to the surface, subsurface and atmospheric regions. The purpose of the MSL mission is to both conduct comprehensive science on the surface of Mars and demonstrate technological advancements in the exploration of Mars. MSL investigations would be a means of addressing several of the high-priority scientific investigations recommended to NASA by the planetary science community. The overall scientific goal of the proposed MSL mission can be divided into four areas: 1) assess the biological potential of at least one selected site on Mars, 2) characterize the geology and geochemistry of the landing region at all appropriate spatial scales, 1 The web-site addresses for reference material publicly available on the Internet are included in Chapter 8 of this EIS. v Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission 3) investigate planetary processes of relevance to past habitability, and 4) characterize the broad spectrum of the Martian surface radiation environment. The proposed MSL mission, with it’s planned capability to “follow the water” from a potential landing site within a broad range of latitudes, would utilize a mobile science laboratory (rover) with advanced instrumentation to acquire significant, detailed information regarding the habitability of Mars from a scientifically promising location. The proposed MSL mission would also fulfill NASA’s strategic technology goals of increasing the mass of science payloads delivered to the surface of Mars, expanding access to higher and lower latitudes, increasing precision landing capability, and increasing traverse capability to distances on the order of several kilometers. ALTERNATIVES EVALUATED This FEIS for the MSL mission evaluates the following alternatives. • Proposed Action (Alternative 1, NASA’s Preferred Alternative)—NASA proposes to continue preparations for and implement the MSL mission to Mars. The proposed MSL spacecraft would be launched on board an expendable launch vehicle from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (CCAFS), Florida, during September – November 2009, and would be inserted into a trajectory toward Mars. The proposed MSL rover would utilize a radioisotope power system as its primary source of electrical power to operate and conduct science on the surface of Mars. The next launch opportunity for a landed mission to Mars would occur during November – December 2011. • Alternative 2—Under this alternative, NASA would discontinue preparations for the Proposed Action (Alternative 1) and implement an alternative MSL mission to Mars. The alternative MSL spacecraft would be launched on board an expendable launch vehicle from CCAFS, Florida, during September – November 2009, and would be inserted into a trajectory toward Mars. The alternative MSL rover would utilize solar energy as its primary source of electrical power to operate and conduct science on the surface of Mars. The next launch opportunity for a landed mission to Mars would occur during November – December 2011. • No Action Alternative—Under this alternative, NASA would discontinue preparations for the MSL mission and the spacecraft would not be launched. SCIENCE COMPARISON ALTERNATIVES 1 AND 2. The MSL rover designs in both the Proposed Action (Alternative 1) and Alternative 2 would carry the same science instruments and hence either alternative would have common mission science objectives. The main difference between these two alternatives is that the proposed radioisotope-powered rover would be capable of landing and operating within a significantly broader range of latitudes on Mars than would the solar-powered rover. The capability to land the rover within a broad range of latitudes is important because doing so maintains NASA’s flexibility to select the most scientifically interesting location on the surface and maximize the rover’s vi Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mars Science Laboratory Mission capability to collect surface samples and conduct comprehensive science experiments. The radioisotope-powered rover would be capable of operating for at least one Mars year and accomplish all of the MSL mission’s science objectives at a landing site on Mars, yet to be selected, between 60° South and 60° North latitude. Only at 15° North latitude could a solar-powered rover operate
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