The US Air Force has suspended a proposed rocket cargo delivery program involving SpaceX over concerns the project could severely disrupt an important seabird sanctuary in the Pacific. The Air Force has completely halted hypersonic rocket cargo tests with SpaceX. At the same time, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, reacting to the damage caused to bird nests due to SpaceX launch, said that he would stop eating omelettes for a week “to compensate for this heinous crime”.
According to Space.com, the now-stalled project was part of a US military initiative aimed at exploring the use of commercial rockets built by SpaceX to deliver up to 100 tons of military cargo anywhere in the world within 90 minutes. The concept was being tested under the Rocket Cargo program managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory.
The proposed test site – Johnston Atoll – is a 2.5 sq km uninhabited island located about 1,300 km from Hawaii. The atoll is part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument and is federally protected as a wildlife refuge. Biologists and conservationists warned that the rocket landing could devastate crucial nesting grounds for 14 species of tropical seabirds
These include red-tailed terns, white terns and boobies. The island is one of the few remaining safe havens for these species, and any significant disruption could affect the entire breeding cycle.