U.S. military aims to turn island bird refuge into SpaceX rocket site

https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/04/04/spacex-rocket-cargo-bird-refuge/

U.S. military aims to turn island bird refuge into SpaceX rocket site
Landing tests at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific could advance a plan to use rockets to ship military cargo but could also threaten an important nesting site.
April 4, 2025 at 10:19 a.m. EDT
By Dino Grandoni and Aaron Gregg

The U.S. military is seeking to turn a remote Pacific wildlife refuge into a landing site for SpaceX rockets, a move that could ultimately advance military capabilities but could also threaten a rare sanctuary for 1.5 million birds.

The U.S. Space Force last month announced its intention to build two landing pads on Johnston Atoll, an unincorporated U.S. territory consisting of four tiny islands about 800 miles southwest of Honolulu.

The Space Force wants to use the site to test the Rocket Cargo Vanguard program, which aims to expedite the movement of military cargo around the globe by deploying large commercial rockets.

Although the notice of intent did not mention SpaceX, vehicles from Elon Musk’s rocket company would be used for the project, according to a government official familiar with the proposal who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it.

...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The bird-loving president says it's a great idea because Elon is a great patriot