{"abstract":"Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA), as amended (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's policy and procedures (14 CFR Part 1216 Subpart 1216.3), NASA intends to prepare a Tier I EIS and a Tier II EIS for the Mars Surveyor Program. This program has been authorized by Congress to launch missions to Mars periodically as part of a long-term program of Mars exploration. The purposes of the Mars Surveyor Program are to (1) conduct additional scientific exploration of Mars, and (2) use the first Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission to return Martian samples collected earlier by either the Mars 2001 or Mars 2003 mission to Earth. The Tier I EIS will serve as a programmatic EIS for the Mars Surveyor Program and as a mission-specific EIS for the proposed Mars 2001 and Mars 2003 missions. It will address the environmental impacts of the proposed Mars 2001 and Mars 2003 missions and give a preliminary overview of the proposed first MSR mission which is planned for 2004. The Tier II EIS will provide further details of the MSR mission, including the potential environmental impacts of returning a sample of Martian surface materials and atmosphere to Earth. The Mars 2001 and 2003 missions are currently proposed to launch from Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), Florida. The Mars 2001 orbiter is scheduled for launch in February 2001. The lander and rover are scheduled for launch in April 2001. The Mars 2003 orbiter, lander, and rover are proposed for launch in May 2003. The first proposed MSR mission, including orbiter, lander and Earth reentry capsule, is scheduled for a single launch in November 2004. Environmental impacts to be considered are those impacts associated with a normal launch from CCAS, and the potential radiological and non-radiological risks of launch accidents. The Mars 2001 and 2003 missions may require the use of up to eight Radioisotope Heater Units (RHU's) for each mission, and minor quantities of Curium-242, Curium-244, and Cobalt-57 for scientific instrumentation. The MSR mission may require the use of up to thirty RHU's.","action":"Notice of intent to prepare a Tier I environmental impact statement (EIS) and a Tier II EIS and conduct scoping for the Mars Surveyor Program.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION","name":"National Aeronautics and Space Administration","id":301,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-aeronautics-and-space-administration","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/301","parent_id":null,"slug":"national-aeronautics-and-space-administration"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/1998/04/03/98-8797.html","cfr_references":[],"citation":"63 FR 16586","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":"1998-05-18","correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"Interested parties are invited to submit comments or environmental concerns on or before May 18, 1998 to assure full consideration during the scoping process.","disposition_notes":null,"docket_ids":["Notice (98-045)"],"dockets":[],"document_number":"98-8797","effective_on":null,"end_page":16587,"executive_order_notes":null,"executive_order_number":null,"explanation":null,"full_text_xml_url":null,"html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/1998/04/03/98-8797/national-environmental-policy-act-mars-surveyor-program","images":{},"images_metadata":{},"json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/documents/98-8797?publication_date=1998-04-03","mods_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/metadata/granule/FR-1998-04-03/98-8797/mods.xml","not_received_for_publication":null,"page_length":2,"page_views":{"count":4,"last_updated":"2026-04-04 16:15:04 -0400"},"pdf_url":"https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1998-04-03/pdf/98-8797.pdf","presidential_document_number":null,"proclamation_number":null,"public_inspection_pdf_url":null,"publication_date":"1998-04-03","raw_text_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/text/1998/04/03/98-8797.txt","regulation_id_number_info":{},"regulation_id_numbers":[],"regulations_dot_gov_info":{"checked_regulationsdotgov_at":"2011-09-21T02:56:04Z"},"regulations_dot_gov_url":null,"significant":null,"signing_date":null,"start_page":16586,"subtype":null,"title":"National Environmental Policy Act; Mars Surveyor Program","toc_doc":null,"toc_subject":null,"topics":[],"type":"Notice","volume":63}