Office of Commercial Space Transportation; Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), Open a Public Scoping Period, and Conduct a Public Scoping Meeting.

Résumé

This Notice provides information to Federal, State, and local agencies, Native American tribes, and other interested persons regarding the FAA's intent to prepare an EIS that will evaluate the potential environmental impacts associated with the issuance of a Launch Site Operator License to Space Florida. Space Florida, an independent special district and a subdivision of the State of Florida, proposes to construct and operate a commercial space launch site (the "Shiloh Launch Complex") and two off-site operations support areas. The Shiloh Launch Complex would include two vertical launch facilities that would accommodate up to 24 launches per year (12 launches per vertical launch facility), as well as up to 24 static fire engine tests or wet dress rehearsals per year (12 static fire engine tests or wet dress rehearsals per vertical launch facility). The launch vehicles would include liquid fueled, medium- to heavy-lift class orbital and suborbital vehicles. In addition to the 24 launches per year, the first stage of the launch vehicle could return to and land at the Shiloh Launch Complex. The proposed commercial space launch site is located on the west side of Kennedy Parkway North