National Aeronautics and Space Administration Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Technology Demonstration Mission Pacific Missile Range Facility
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Technology Demonstration Mission Pacific Missile Range Facility Supplemental Environmental Assessment Draft Space Technology Mission Directorate February 2015 National Aeronautics and Space Administration Washington, DC 20546 THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK Executive Summary THIS PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2 Introduction 3 The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) prepared a Final 4 Environmental Assessment (EA) and issued a Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) 5 in May 2013 which evaluated and addressed the potential environmental consequences 6 of conducting the proposed launch, operation, and recovery of the Low Density 7 Supersonic Decelerator (LDSD) Technology Demonstration Mission (TDM) test flights at 8 the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on Kauai, Hawaii. The 2013 9 Final EA addressed the first demonstration test which was successfully conducted in 10 June 2014, as well as the campaigns planned in 2015 consisting of three additional 11 demonstration tests. Based on information gleaned from the first test, the purpose of 12 this Supplemental Environmental Assessment (SEA) is to evaluate the potential 13 environmental consequences (environmental impacts) of changes planned for future 14 campaigns. These changes consist of the No-action Alternative, Alternative 1, and 15 Alternative 2: 16 No-action Alternative: Under the No-action Alternative, NASA would conduct 17 the Proposed Action as detailed in the 2013 LDSD Final EA and with the 18 clarification that some recovery aids discussed in that EA may or may not be 19 employed. This proposed test campaign would consist of launch, operation, 20 and recovery of up to four missions from a designated location on PMRF. 21 The Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT) campaign would consist of up 22 to four flights from approximately June to July 2014 and June to August 2015. 23 One flight was conducted in 2014, and up to three could be conducted in 24 2015. Under the No-action Alternative, Sections 2.2.2.1 (Operational 25 Facilities) and 2.4.2 (Launch Operation) of this SEA would apply. 26 Alternative 1 (Preferred Alternative): Consists of using additional open ocean 27 splashdown area within and outside of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National 28 Monument (PMNM) and additional launch years. For Alternative 1 (Preferred 29 Alternative), these changes consist of (1) permit authorization from NOAA for 30 flight hardware to potentially fly over, splashdown, and be recovered within 31 the easternmost part of PMNM (except balloon flight train which would rapidly 32 sink in the open ocean); and (2) perform up to two LDSD TDM test flights 33 annually over the next 5 years, starting in June 2015 and ending in August 34 2019. Issuance of the permit is contingent upon final approval of this SEA 35 and associated FONSI. 36 Alternative 2: Consists of adding additional launch years to the 2013 Final EA 37 with the clarification that some recovery aids discussed in that EA may or may 38 not be employed. For Alternative 2, these changes consist of additional test 39 flights of up to two missions per year over the next 5 years (June 2015– 40 August 2019) from a designated location on PMRF using the flight trajectory 41 outlined in the 2013 LDSD Final EA. For future testing, the full open ocean 42 recovery of the expended flight hardware, including balloon carcass, Test February 2015 Draft LDSD Supplemental EA es-1 1 Vehicle, and supersonic parachute, will take place within a pre-coordinated 2 operational area located west by northwest of PMRF. Under Alternative 2, 3 Sections 2.2.2.1 (Operational Facilities) and 2.4.2 (Launch Operation) of this 4 SEA would apply. 5 This SEA is in compliance with the following statutes, regulations, and procedures: 6 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, as amended (42 United 7 States Code [U.S.C.] 4321 et seq.) 8 Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) Regulations for Implementing the 9 Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 Code of Federal Regulations [CFR] Parts 10 1500-1508) 11 NASA NEPA Implementing Regulation (Subpart 1216.3) 12 NASA Procedural Requirement 8580.1, NASA National Environmental Policy 13 Act Management Requirements 14 Executive Order (EO) 12114, Environmental Effects Abroad of Major Federal 15 Actions 16 Presidential Proclamation, 8031 Establishment of the Northwestern Hawaiian 17 Islands Marine National Monument 18 50 CFR Part 404, Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument 19 Background 20 In May 2013, NASA completed the Low Density Supersonic Decelerator Technology 21 Demonstration Mission (TDM) Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) Final 22 Environmental Assessment (LDSD Final EA) and issued its FONSI on 10 May 2013. 23 Subsequent to issuing the FONSI, NASA continued its mission planning and ultimately 24 conducted the first LDSD flight in June 2014. Lessons learned from this initial LDSD 25 flight indicated that changes to the Proposed Action as described in the LDSD Final EA 26 could be warranted. 27 Accordingly, NASA has prepared this SEA as a supplement to the 2013 LDSD Final EA 28 to evaluate the environmental consequences of operational changes it proposes for 29 future LDSD test flights. 30 The following three sections of the Executive Summary provide (1) a summary of the 31 June 2014 LDSD test flight; (2) a summary of the lessons learned that prompted NASA 32 to consider modifying its Proposed Action; and (3) a summary of the Federal 33 authorization needed to undertake the proposed changes. 34 1. 2014 LDSD SFDT Flight Summary 35 The LDSD Project’s first Supersonic Flight Dynamics Test (SFDT) on 28 June 2014 36 from the U.S. Navy’s PMRF represented the culmination of years of planning, es-2 Draft LDSD Supplemental EA February 2015 1 development, and ingenuity by multiple NASA centers. The focus of this first SFDT was 2 to determine if the devised test architecture and Concept of Operations (ConOps) 3 achieved engineering and technology conditions to push the limits of the decelerators 4 being developed. The SFDT had to be accomplished within established requirements 5 outlined in the LDSD project’s EA, NASA’s Safety policies defined in the Wallops Flight 6 Facility Range Safety Manual, and the U.S. Navy’s Safety policies defined in the Range 7 Safety Operational Plan. 8 Although the initial 2-week launch window opened on 2 June 2014, the LDSD project 9 experienced daily upper wind conditions that preempted all launch attempts during that 10 window. The LDSD project and the U.S. Navy’s Management coordinated a second 11 launch window at the end of June 2014 requiring redeployment of project personnel and 12 support assets. The first day of the second launch window opened on 28 June 2014 13 and provided a valid opportunity for launch. The predicted balloon trajectory was along 14 a path north of Niihau. This particular balloon trajectory only afforded an approximate 15 30-minute decision window whether to drop the Test Vehicle based on any inflight 16 anomalies (i.e., unplanned scenarios) that might occur. The LDSD project accepted the 17 risks associated with this northern trajectory and moved forward with a launch attempt. 18 After numerous decision meetings, all Go/No Go criteria were green and the balloon 19 was released from the launch site at PMRF. 20 The balloon ascent progressed in accordance to plan except for slightly higher upper air 21 wind speeds than predicted and the balloon’s ascent being slightly slower than 22 predicted. Each of these slight changes to the timeline narrowed the overall margin in 23 the decision window for Test Vehicle drop before initiation of the SFDT. Had there been 24 any significant delay in the mission (e.g., non-participating vessels in the range, 25 hardware issue, etc.), then the U.S. Navy Range Safety Organization would have 26 issued a mission termination order, resulting in an immediate drop of the balloon and 27 Test Vehicle into the ocean to prevent potential PMNM infringement, resulting in the 28 likely full loss of the vehicle due to impact damage. 29 2. 2014 Lessons Learned That Prompted This SEA 30 A significant accomplishment of the LDSD project’s 2014 campaign was demonstrating 31 the ability to accurately predict the balloon’s climb-out trajectory and to recover the 32 balloon carcass and Test Vehicle. Figure 1-3 of the SEA captures recovery operations 33 of the balloon, and Figure 1-4 shows recovery operations at the Test Vehicle recovery 34 site. The hard lesson learned was that there is the possibility of going weeks without 35 acceptable conditions for launch. Another lesson learned is that the northern 36 trajectories represent significant risk of early termination unless mitigated. Based on the 37 results of the 28 June 2014 test flight, the LDSD project decided to investigate the 38 possibility of potentially dropping and recovering expended flight hardware, with the 39 exception of the balloon flight train, in the eastern part of PMNM during future 40 demonstration missions, as part of any additional flight option. This would be conducted 41 within the boundary of PMNM as measured from PMRF, but outside of the 5.6-kilometer 42 (km) (3-nautical-mile [nm]) Special Management Area surrounding Nihoa Island. February 2015 Draft LDSD Supplemental EA es-3 1 Section 1.1.3 of the SEA summarizes the request for authorization to operate within 2 PMNM. 3 3. Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Permit and Authorization 4 Request Process 5 In January 2015, NASA submitted to the permit coordinator an application seeking 6 authorization to include the eastern part of PMNM surrounding Nihoa Island as part of 7 its splashdown area for the SFDTs.