Final Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement for International Space Station

Book excerpt: The Final Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the International Space Station (ISS) has been prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and follows NASA's Record of Decision on the Final Tier 1 EIS for the Space Station Freedom. The Tier 2 EIS provides an updated evaluation of the environmental impacts associated with the alternatives considered: the Proposed Action and the No-Action alternative. The Proposed Action is to continue U.S. participation in the assembly and operation of ISS. The No-Action alternative would cancel NASA s participation in the Space Station Program. ISS is an international cooperative venture between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Science and Technology Agency of Japan, the Russian Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency. The purpose of the NASA action would be to further develop human presence in space; to meet scientific, technological, and commercial research needs; and to foster international cooperation. INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION; ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS; ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION; SPACE STATION FREEDOM; SPACECRAFT LAUNCHING; SPACECRAFT REENTRY; SAFETY FACTORS; RISK; DEBRIS; DAMAGE ASSESSMENT; MANUFACTURING; ASSEMBLY; DECOMMISSIONING; OCEANS; POPULATIONS; TROPOSPHERE; STRATOSPHERE; MESOSPHERE; THERMOSPHERE...