The space race should not endanger Australian wildlife

The race to space continues, with the number of rockets launched increasing every year .

Most of these send satellites into orbit.

A smaller number are for defence operations , space exploration and space tourism .

Australia has two existing rocket-launch facilities: the Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland and the Koonibba Test Range in South Australia.

Australian aerospace company Southern Launch, the operator of the Koonibba Test Range, has proposed a new coastal rocket-launch facility for Whalers Way on SA’s Eyre Peninsula.

Over in Western Australia, the state government has thrown its support behind plans to build a spaceport across multiple sites.

Space facilities are often built in areas rich in wildlife, including many species already under threat from habitat destruction , climate change and H5N1 bird flu .

That raises the question: how can we explore space without harming ecosystems on Earth? When rockets and nature collide Rocket-launch facilities are typically built in coastal or desert areas away from human populations.

This is to protect people from excess noise, falling debris and uncontrolled explosions from failed launches .

Given Australia’s coastal areas are home to a spectacular array of plants and animals , this creates a potential conflict between rocket launches and nearby nature.

The proposed Whalers Way facility, for instance, would be built in a nature reserve that is home to more than 700 native species , including two endangered birds and the endangered Australian sea lion .

This conflict is not unique to Australia.

A recent international study found more than 60% of the world’s rocket-launch facilities are located in or close to nature reserves, threatening global conservation efforts.

Building and operating coastal rocket-launch facilities can harm wildlife in various ways, including by: causing habitat destruction creating extreme noise , with the sound of a rocket launch being loud enough to cause physical trauma to the ears , lungs and brains of nearby animals, and physiological stress to nesting birds and their eggs releasing chemicals , contained in rocket propellants or falling debris, which can contaminate the site sparking uncontrolled explosions increasing fire risk .