Final Environmental Assessment for the Launch and Reentry of SpaceShipTwo Reusable Suborbital Rockets at the Mojave Air and Space Port May 2012 HQ-121575 DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Finding of No Significant Impact AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) ACTION: Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) SUMMARY: The FAA Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) prepared a Final Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA; 42 United States Code 4321 et seq.), Council on Environmental Quality NEPA implementing regulations (40 Code of Federal Regulations parts 1500 to 1508), and FAA Order 1050.1E, Change 1, Environmental Impacts: Policies and Procedures, to evaluate the potential environmental impacts of issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo reusable suborbital rockets and WhiteKnightTwo carrier aircraft at the Mojave Air and Space Port in Mojave, California. After reviewing and analyzing currently available data and information on existing conditions and the potential impacts of the Proposed Action, the FAA has determined that issuing experimental permits and/or launch licenses to operate SpaceShipTwo and WhiteKnightTwo at the Mojave Air and Space Port would not significantly impact the quality of the human environment. Therefore, preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement is not required, and the FAA is issuing this FONSI. The FAA made this determination in accordance with all applicable environmental laws. The Final EA is incorporated by reference in this FONSI. FOR A COPY OF THE EA AND FONSI: Visit the following internet address: http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ast/environmental/review/permits/ or contact Daniel Czelusniak, Environmental Program Lead, Federal Aviation Administration, 800 Independence Ave., SW, Suite 325, Washington, DC 20591; email
[email protected]; or phone (202) 267-5924.