US Air Force suspends SpaceX rocket project: Reason may be similar for which Elon Musk joked, 'will not eat omelette for a week'

The U.S. Air Force has halted its proposed collaboration with Elon Musk's SpaceX to test hypersonic rocket cargo deliveries from Johnston Atoll, a remote Pacific wildlife refuge, according to Stars and Stripes, an independent U.S. military publication. The decision as reported by Reuters highlights concerns from biologists and experts that the project would endanger numerous seabirds nesting on the unincorporated U.S. territory, located nearly 800 miles (1,300 km) southwest of Hawaii.The Air Force had planned an environmental assessment, but opposition from environmental groups delayed the draft's release. A military spokesperson told Stars and Stripes recently that the Air Force is now seeking alternative locations for the program, which aims to use commercial rockets, like those developed by SpaceX, to deliver up to 100 tons of cargo anywhere on Earth in about 90 minutes—a potential game-changer for military logistics in remote areas. Neither the Air Force nor SpaceX immediately responded to requests for comment.Biologists warn that the one-square-mile (2.6 square km) atoll, part of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument, supports 14 species of tropical birds that could be severely impacted by the project.

When Elon Musk said 'Would not eat omelets for a week'

SpaceX has faced similar environmental issues before. Last year, a Starship rocket launch in Boca Chica, Texas, destroyed nests and eggs of protected plover shorebirds, leading to legal repercussions. In response, Elon Musk had said that he would "not eat omelets for a week" to atone for the incident, a remark that drew attention to the environmental controversy surrounding his company's activities. "To make up for this heinous crime, I will refrain from having omelette for a week," Elon Musk wrote. Elon Musk made the pledge in response to an article published in an American newspaper highlighting the environmental impact of the SpaceX launch.