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NASA has prepared the Final Constellation Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) to address the potential environmental impacts associated with continuing preparation for and implementing the Constellation Program. The Constellation Program encompasses NASA's efforts to extend the human presence throughout the Solar System as the President outlined in his Vision for Space Exploration. The Constellation Program is focused on providing the capability to transport humans and cargo to the moon, in support of lunar exploration missions, and to the International Space Station (ISS), while future efforts would support missions to Mars and beyond. The Final Constellation PEIS was developed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and NASA's regulations for implementing NEPA.
The proposed framework for implementation of the Constellation Program has been established through initial studies addressed in the Exploration Systems Architecture Study (ESAS). The ESAS identified the key technologies required to enable NASA to continue to support the ISS, to undertake human exploration missions to the moon, and to prepare for human missions to Mars and ultimately to other destinations in the Solar System. The Final Constellation PEIS includes a high-level discussion of the systems identified as necessary to meet the Constellation Program goals.
NASA issued a Notice Of Availability of the Final Constellation PEIS in the Federal Register on January 18, 2008. The Record of Decision (ROD) was signed by NASA on February 27, 2008. A Modified ROD was signed by NASA on July 29, 2011, The Modified ROD reviewed the aspects of the Constellation program that are advancing, the Multiple Purpose Crew Vehicle and Space Launch Services.
NASA issued a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare the Draft Constellation PEIS in September 2006. Interested parties were invited to submit their comments on environmental issues and concerns at that time. NASA also held scoping meetings for the purpose of soliciting public input on environmental impacts and concerns associated with the Constellation Program. Relevant scoping comments were addressed in the Draft Constellation PEIS, which was published for public review in August 2007 via notice in the Federal Register. NASA has addressed the comments from the public review of the Draft Constellation PEIS in the preparation of the Final Constellation PEIS and have addressed these comments in Appendix B.
Modified Record of Decision for NASA’s Post-Shuttle Human Spaceflight Program and the Constellation Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (2011)Final Document by Section:
› Table of Contents (PDF 800 KB)Related PEIS Information:
› EPA Final Cx PEIS Notice Of Availability (NOA)