National Aeronautics and Space Administration June 15, 2010 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announces a meeting of the Astrophysics Subcommittee of the NASA Advisory Council (NAC). This Subcommittee reports to the Science Committee of the NAC. The Meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting from the scientific community and other persons scientific and technical information relevant to program planning.

Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (NEPA) (42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq.), the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural Provisions of NEPA (40 CFR Parts 1500-1508), and NASA NEPA policy and procedures (14 CFR Part 1216, Subpart 1216.3), NASA has prepared a Draft PEA that analyzes scientific balloon launch and flight operations originating from NASA's Columbia Scientific Balloon Facilities (CSBF) in Fort Sumner, New Mexico and Palestine, Texas. NASA has launched and monitored the flights of balloons from these locations for over 25 years. NASA is not proposing to change the launch locations and is only proposing to increase the number of scientific balloons launched each year. Balloon flights originating from CSBF Fort Sumner would increase from 15 to 25 annually; balloons launched from CSBF Palestine would continue at approximately 6 per year. The No Action Alternative, under which balloon launch and flight operations would not increase, is also analyzed in detail in the Draft PEA.