The US Air Force has decided to stop plans for the construction of two landing sites on Johnston atoll - a remote island in the central Pacific Ocean - against the backdrop of concern about damage to local nature. About this 5 July reported military edition of Stars and Stripes.
The platforms were to become part of the Rocket Cargo Program - Military Logistics Initiatives, which involves the use of commercial space missiles (including SpaceX Starship) For the excessive delivery of goods anywhere in the world.
Atoll Johnston is an unattiated territory of the United States, located approximately 1 330 km southwest of Hawaii. Although in the past it was used for military tests and storage of chemical weapons, нині його захищає Служба охорони рибних ресурсів і дикої природи США як частину Національного заповідника. Доступ до території суворо обмежений.
In March the US Air Force announced in Federal Register on the intention to carry out an environmental assessment of the project. This should be the first real test of the Rockket Cargo concept, that is overwhelmed by the Air Force Studies Laboratory (Affl). The idea is to adapt commercial missiles for rapid supply of equipment in difficult conditions or areas of conflict.
However, after a wave of criticism by ecologists, which have warned about the threat to marine ecosystems and colonies of seabirds, Air Force decided to stop the project and look for alternative locations.
Despite the refusal of this particular object, The Rockket Cargo program remains part of the US priority initiative to integrate advanced commercial space technologies for military and humanitarian tasks.