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US Air Force halts SpaceX rocket programme over reason Musk once swore off omelettes
SpaceX's Starship spacecraft atop its powerful Super Heavy rocket booster lifts off on its sixth integrated test flight at the Starbase launchpad near Brownsville, Texas, on November 19, 2024. (Photo: Reuters)
The US Air Force has reportedly scrapped a proposed hypersonic rocket cargo delivery programme with Elon Musk-owned SpaceX following concerns that it might hurt vital seabird sanctuary at Johnston Atoll - a 2.5 square km uninhabited island located about 1,300 km from Hawaii.
Space.com reported that the programme involved testing the use of commercial rockets to deliver up to 100 tonnes of military cargo anywhere in the world within 90 minutes. This project was being managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory under the Rocket Cargo programme.
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Environmental concerns
Biologists and conservationists earlier raised concerns that rocket landings could severely disrupt nesting grounds for 14 tropical seabird species, including red-tailed tropicbirds, white terns, and boobies, on the critical island refuge.
The atoll, one of the last safe havens for these birds, risks losing entire breeding cycles due to disturbances.
Following a Reuters report highlighting scientists' warnings, the Air Force halted the planned tests amid heightened scrutiny.
Though SpaceX was not officially confirmed as a partner, its rockets were likely candidates for the programme.
The company has faced prior criticism for environmental impacts, notably in April 2023, when a Starship launch in Boca Chica, Texas, caused a blast that destroyed nesting sites and eggs of the endangered piping plover, prompting backlash from environmentalists and regulators, with coverage in The New York Times.
Musk's controversial response
In response to the controversy on X, Elon Musk jokingly remarked, 'To make up for this heinous crime, I will refrain from having omelette for a week.'
Conservation groups have criticised SpaceX for environmental harm, filing a lawsuit against the FAA in May over its approval of expanded rocket launches in South Texas without additional environmental studies, despite the site's proximity to a national wildlife refuge.
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