NASA has opened the public comment period for the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the agency’s Mars 2020 mission. The rover is targeted to launch from Florida in July 2020 on an expendable launch vehicle.
NASA published the Notice of Availability for the Draft SEIS to the November 2014 Final Environmental Impact Statement for Mars 2020 on Oct. 25. The documents and associated information are available at:
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/
NASA will hold three public meetings to solicit comments on the draft SEIS:
Wednesday, Nov. 13
- 6 to 9 p.m. EST at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex on Space Commerce Way in Merritt Island, Florida
Thursday, Nov. 14
- 2 to 5 p.m. at the Florida Solar Energy Center at 1679 Clearlake Rd. in Cocoa, Florida
Friday, Nov. 15
- 1 to 3 p.m. – virtual online public meeting at http://go.nasa.gov/SEIS-
meeting .
Advanced registration for these meetings is not required.
The meetings will include briefings about the Mars 2020 mission, its power system, and the findings of the draft SEIS. Comments may be submitted in writing at a meeting, following the briefings, or by email to mars2020-nepa@lists.nasa.gov. The public comment period ends Dec. 10.
The draft SEIS provides updated information related to the potential environmental impacts associated with carrying out the Mars 2020 mission. The mission includes a mobile science rover based on the design of NASA’s Curiosity rover, which was launched in 2011 from Florida and is operating successfully on Mars.
Additional information on NASA’s National Environmental Policy Act process is available at:
