The US military wants to use Johnston Coral Island, a remote reserve in the Pacific, as a landing place for SpaceX missiles. This plan is part of the spatial force program, the purpose of delivering military goods quickly using large commercial missiles, like Starship of the Company.
Although this can increase the US military potential, this is alarming among scientists and nature defenders. On the island of the coral, Johnston lived more than 1.5 million seabirds, including rare children. Experts are concerned that the noise of missiles and construction can scare birds, damage the nest and bring invasive species.
The island in the past has been used for military purposes, including nuclear tests and chemical storage. But in 2004, he was returned under protection. Since then, many years of work – including eliminating invasive ants – have helped recover the bird's population.
The military declares the implementation of measures to minimize the environment, but some believe that it is necessary to conduct adequate environmental inspection. Critics believe that landing on missiles on such an vulnerable area and can deny a decade of recovery.
Environmental evaluation is expected in the near future.