8.14.2007
Constellation and the environment
Never mind those other links, reviews and recommendations posted on SLP and elsewhere in blogspace all season. Now this is what I call hot summer vacation reading. NASA has posted the 22 MG, 440-page (pdf) Draft Constellation Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (published in the Federal Register Vol. 72, No. 154, Aug. 10, 2007) and is standing by awaiting your feedback (public comments are due by September 30, 2007).I personally breezed through the document initially this afternoon (no I didn't), and will read it more thoroughly tonight (no I won't), and perhaps take a second look on the beach tomorrow (sure thing). You enjoy it too. Refreshing. Harry Potter it ain't.
And if that's not enough to satisfy your NEPA jones -- and what is? -- here is the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended (Pub. L. 91-190, 42 U.S.C. 4321-4347, January 1, 1970, as amended by Pub. L. 94-52, July 3, 1975, Pub. L. 94-83, August 9, 1975, and Pub. L. 97-258, § 4(b), Sept. 13, 1982); and this is NASA's Overview of the National Environmental Policy Act.
(I note that the purposes of NEPA are: "To declare a national policy which will encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and his environment; to promote efforts which will prevent or eliminate damage to the environment and biosphere and stimulate the health and welfare of man; to enrich the understanding of the ecological systems and natural resources important to the Nation...." Sec. 2 [42 USC § 4321]. Yes, the "environment" under NEPA is that of Earth; no mention in the Act of the environment of our Moon, Mars or any place else in the solar 'hood.)
Now if you'll excuse me, I will attempt to read the EIS, which really is quite fascinating (and no piece of moon pie to put together), but wanted to share the link here before I finished the whole thing (sometime after Labor Day) (maybe).
(By the way, for gentle visitors from other worlds who don't know that 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," look here.)
