Re: FAA Blue Origin environmental assessment

http://ast.faa.gov/pdf/20060622_Draft_EA_As_Published.pdf

Ooof. That's a lot to read (or even skim) - 12 M, 229 pages.

A few highlights:

* the drawing of the launch vehicle on the cover, showing a DC-X like
appearance.

* "Because Blue Origen's launch vehicle would ascend and descend
vertically, sonic booms would propagate away from the Earth's surface
Origin"

* "Staffing for the daily operations phase of the proposed project is
expected to be 20 to 35 personnel. Although the professional staff
would likely be imported to the area, a portion of the security and
support personnel would be expected to be drawn from the local area."

* "Blue Origin proposes to construct and operate a commercial space
launch site . . . Blue Origin proposes to develop this site to launch
RLVs carrying space flight participants on suborbital, ballistic
trajectories to altitudes in excess of 99,060 meters (325,000 feet)
above sea level."

* Exhibit 2-1 shows a "Landing Pad" some 2 miles from the "Launch
Complex"

* "The New Shepard RLV system would be comprised of a propulsion
module and a crew capsule (CC) capable of carrying three or more
space flight participants to space. The CC is stacked on top of the
propulsion module. The stacked vehicle would have a roughly conical
shape with a base diameter of approximately 7 meters (22 feet) and a
height of approximately 15 meters (50 feet). The propulsion module
would be fully reusable, would carry its own avionics, and would
operate autonomously under the control of on-board computers. The
propulsion module would use 90 percent concentration hydrogen
peroxide, called high test peroxide (HTP) and rocket propellant (RP)
grade kerosene as the propellants. The propulsion module would have
a combined propellant load of HTP and RP of approximately 54,431
kilograms-mass (120,000 pounds-mass). The propulsion module would
have a thrust capability of approximately 1,023,091 Newtons (230,000
pounds-force) at liftoff. The propulsion module may have a
low-thrust Reaction Control System (RCS) using either monopropellant
HTP or pressurized gas, such as helium or nitrogen, also known as a
cold-gas system. The CC would also be fully reusable, would carry
its own avionics, and would operate autonomously under the control
of on-board computers. The cabin would be pressurized and have
systems for maintaining temperature, humidity, and oxygen and carbon
dioxide partial pressures. The CC would carry small solid rocket
motors for use in an emergency abort situation. . . . These motors
would be composed of an aluminum hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene
composite propellant with a total mass of 500 kilograms-mass (1,100
pounds-mass) or less. These motors produce an average combined
thrust of approximately 533,787 Newtons (120,000 pounds-force)
approximately two seconds. The CC may have a low-thrust RCS using
either monopropellant HTP or cold gas. The New Shepard RLV would
have three possible flight scenarios - two nominal scenarios and one
emergency scenario. In the first nominal scenario, the New Shepard
RLV would perform a vertical takeoff from the test pad; fly a
suborbital trajectory nearly straight up; shut down engines after
approximately two minutes and coast to an altitude in excess of
99,060 meters (325,000 feet) before descending; and restart its
engines several thousand feet above the ground for a precision
vertical powered landing on the landing pad. The time from engine
restart to landing would be less than 15 seconds, and the propulsion
module would use less than 444,822 Newtons (100,000 pounds-force) of
thrust for landing. During this entire mission, the propulsion
module [2-4] and CC would remain attached. Total mission time from
liftoff to landing would be less than 10 minutes. In the second
nominal scenario, the New Shepard RLV would fly a similar trajectory
as the first scenario during ascent, except that shortly after main
engine cutoff, the propulsion module and CC would separate. The
separation would be accomplished using a combination of springs and
possibly a low-impulse RCS burn to assure collision avoidance. The
small solid rocket motors used for emergency separation would not be
ignited and would remain on the propulsion module as the CC
separates. Both the propulsion module and CC would reach an altitude
in excess of 99,060 meters (325,000 feet) before beginning their
descent. The propulsion module would perform a precision vertical
powered landing on the landing pad as in the previous scenario,
while the CC would land within the launch site perimeter fence using
devices to induce atmospheric drag, such as parachutes. The
emergency scenario involves the emergency separation of the CC from
the propulsion module. If an anomaly is detected autonomously or if
a command is sent by a ground operator prior to liftoff or during
ascent flight, the propulsion module and CC would separate to
protect space flight participant safety. Emergency separation would
be accomplished by use of the small solid rocket motors on the
CC. [snip more discussion of abort scenarios]"

* "2.1.2 Before flying the human-carrying operational New Shepard RLV
for commercial operation, Blue Origin proposes to develop and flight
test a series of unmanned prototypes at the West Texas launch
site. The first of these vehicles would be a low-altitude demonstrator
of the propulsion module using approximately 2,042 kilograms (4,500
pounds) of HTP as a monopropellant, capable of reaching an altitude of
no more than 610 meters (2,000 feet) with a mission time of less than
one minute."

* "2.1.3 Development Schedule . . .

2006: The majority of facility construction at the site would occur
during this period. In the third and fourth quarters of 2006, Blue
Origin would ship the first prototype low-altitude test vehicle to the
site and conduct the first flight tests. Ten or fewer flight tests
could be conducted in 2006, each to an altitude of approximately 610
meters (2,000 feet) for less than one minute.

2007-2009: Continued flight testing of prototype vehicles with
incrementally increasing capability. During these years, Blue Origin
proposes to gradually expand the operational envelope of its vehicles,
conducting 25 or fewer launches per year. A wide range of tests are
anticipated, ranging in altitude from under 610 meters (2,000) feet to
greater than 99,060 meters (325,000 feet), lasting one minute or less
to over 10 minutes. Development tests of the crew capsule abort system
would be conducted during this time frame. During this time, some
construction to upgrade the facility would also occur, adding
additional infrastructure to support the increasing capabilities of
the system.

2010: Commercial operations may commence with the operational New
Shepard vehicle in this timeframe. The flight rate would depend on
market demand, but Blue Origin anticipates rates up to approximately
52 launches per year of the New Shepard RLV. Although Blue Origin
proposes to continue operations at roughly the same rate beyond the
2010 timeframe, these operations are outside the scope of this
analysis and are analyzed in this EA only with respect to potential
cumulative impacts."

* "The Astronaut Training Facility would consist of administrative
offices, flight instruction classrooms, simulators and space flight
participant medical screening areas, and test and evaluation areas for
space flight participants. The facility is expected to be made of
metal, wood or concrete and be less than 1,394 square meters (15,000
square feet)."

* "The RLVs would originate at Blue Origen's manufacturing and assembly
facilities in the state of Washington and would travel via ground to
West Texas. Blue Origin plans no more than ten total RLV shipments
during the five-year period from 2006-2010. The RLVs may be fully
assembled or partially disassembled during transportation. Some of
these loads may be classified as oversized, but would be within the
scope of loads routinely transported long distances for aerospace
applications, such as aircraft fuselages and launch vehicle stages.
Origin"

* "the Taurus rocket, which uses the Castor 120 motor, is used in this
analysis as a surrogate for evaluation of launch noise impacts at the
launch facility. The New Shepard vehicle would be expected to produce
less noise."

* "four questions were raised by Mr. Gordon Bell representing the
Guadalupe Mountain National Park. He noted the importance of the
National Park Services night skies initiative and asked if launches
might be conducted at night."

There's lots more if you want to know about just what they are
proposing to build, or the geology, biology, sociology, cultural
history, etc, of Culbertson County, Texas, but I think the above hits
the high points for the space related parts.
.

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