BACKGROUND: X-33 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT

On Friday, June 27, NASA will issue its Draft Environmental

Impact Statement on the development and flight testing of the X-33
Advanced Technology Demonstrator. NASA also has announced plans
to hold public meetings in 11 communities in five states to
present the study¹s findings and seek public comment.

The environmental study examines the potential impacts of X-33

development and flight testing. Major issues addressed in the
environmental study -- which began Oct. 7, 1996 -- include noise
and sonic booms, flight safety, and effects on airspace and air
traffic patterns. Many of the issues addressed originated from
comments NASA gathered during public scoping meetings held in the
same communities during the fall and early winter.

The 273,000 pound, wedge-shaped X-33 is being developed under a

cooperative agreement with NASA by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works,
Palmdale, CA. As many as 15 flight tests of the X-33 are planned
to originate from Edwards Air Force Base, CA., and land at sites
in Southern California, Utah, and Montana or Washington beginning
in 1999.

The proposed short-range landing sites addressed in the

environmental study are Silurian Lake and China Lake Naval Weapons
Center, CA. The midrange landing site is Michael Army Air Field
at Dugway Proving Ground, UT. The long-range landing sites are
Moses Lake, WA., and Malmstrom Air Force Base, MT.

The objective of the technology development and demonstration

effort is to support government and private sector decisions by
the end of the decade on development of an operational next-
generation space launch vehicle. A full-scale, single-stage-to-
orbit reusable launch vehicle will dramatically increase
reliability and lower the cost of putting a pound of payload into
space from $10,000 to $1,000. By reducing the cost associated
with transporting payloads into low Earth orbit, a commercial
reusable launch vehicle would create new opportunities for space
access and significantly improve U.S. economic competitiveness in
the worldwide launch marketplace. NASA will be a customer, not
the operator, of an industry-developed reusable launch vehicle.

Copies of the 600-page Environmental Impact Statement and its

40-page Executive Summary are being made available to the public
in a number of repositories -- primarily public libraries -- in
the local communities involved in the X-33 program. The documents
also are being mailed to affected outside agencies -- such as
state government and environmental offices, the Federal Aviation
Administration and Bureau of Land Management.

The full text of the Environmental Impact Statement will appear

on the Marshall Space Flight Center environmental office Web site
at
http://eemo.msfc.nasa.gov/eemo/X33_eis.

The Notice of
Availability publicizing the document¹s release and the
repositories where a copy can be viewed is scheduled to appear in
the Federal Register July 3, 1997.

Requests for copies of the Executive Summary and/or the full

Environmental Impact Statement can be made to:

Dr. Rebecca C. McCaleb, Director

Environmental Engineering and Management Office -- Code AE01
Marshall Space Flight Center, AL 35812

Affected agencies and the public are encouraged to review and

comment on the findings within the environmental study. Comments
can be offered at the public meetings listed below. Written
comments for inclusion in the Final Environmental Impact Statement
also may be forwarded by mail to the address listed above, by fax
to (205) 544-8259, or by e-mail to ³x33eis@msfc.nasa.gov.²
Comments also may be forwarded by calling toll-free at 1-800-833-
0678 and leaving the comments on an answering machine. NASA
officials will do their best to transcribe verbal comments;
however, they cannot guarantee the same accuracy as with written
comments.

Public comment will be accepted through Aug. 17, 1997. The

Final Environmental Impact Statement is scheduled to be completed
in September, with the Record of Decision scheduled for October.

The document is being prepared in compliance with the National

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969, the Council on
Environmental Quality Regulations for Implementing the Procedural
Provisions of NEPA, and NASA policy and regulations.

Additional information on the X-33 program is also available on

the program¹s Web site at http://rlv.msfc.nasa.gov.
X-33 Public Meeting Schedule

Moses Lake, WA
7 p.m. Monday July 7, 1997
Washington State National Guard Armory
6500 32nd Ave. N.E.

Great Falls, MT
6 p.m. Tuesday July 8, 1997
Great Falls High School
1900 Second Ave. S.

Helena, MT
7 p.m. Wednesday July 9, 1997
Social Rehabilitative Services Auditorium
111 Sanders Ave.

Idaho Falls, ID
7 p.m. Thursday July 10, 1997
University of Idaho/Idaho State University
1776 Science Center Drive

Dugway, UT
7 p.m. Monday July 14, 1997
Old Post Headquarters (Bldg. 5450)
Dugway Proving Ground

Salt Lake City, UT

6 p.m. Tuesday July 15, 1997
Salt Lake City Public Library
209 East 500 South

Tooele, UT
7 p.m. Wednesday July 16, 1997
Tooele Senior Center
59 E. Vine St.

Lancaster, CA
7 p.m. Monday July 21, 1997
Lancaster High School
44701 32nd St. W.

Boron, CA
7 p.m. Tuesday July 22, 1997
Boron High School
26831 Prospect St.

Ridgecrest, CA
7 p.m. Wednesday July 23, 1997
Burroughs High School
500 E. French St.

Baker, CA
7 p.m. Thursday July 24, 1997
Baker Senior Citizen Center
73730 Baker Blvd.