Conservationists Say Rocket Site Could Endanger Southern Emu-Wren

Conservationists say that the plans to build a permanent rocket launch pad at Whaler’s Way in South Australia could endanger the Southern emu-wren, according to The Guardian.

In September, the site is hosting a test firing of the Hapith I sub-orbital rocket by Taiwanese company TiSPACE. The area is supposed to help grow the small Australian space industry.

Plans to permanently build a launchpad have been challenged by conservationists, as there are worries about endangering a species of wren found only in the Eyre Peninsula. The site is expected to host 35 launches a year, which conservationists described as “another nail in the coffin” for threatened species.

NCSSA president Patrick O’Connor said, “We’ve already lost more habitat than this [Southern emu-wren] species can reasonably tolerate. If we lose this site, it’s just a matter of time. They’ll either hang on in the state they’re in, but if a big site like Whaler’s Way, goes the risk is extinction.”

O’Connor also voiced his worries about the increased risk of bushfires with a rocket launch pad in the area.

Southern Launch chief executive, Lloyd Damp said, “These issues were brought forward by our ecology subject matter experts, with whom we are working closely with as part of our commitment to minimizing the environmental impacts of our operations at Whalers Way. These experts have identified several suitable alternate areas, and we are in the process of evaluating the relocation of launch site A to an alternative site preferred by our ecologists.”

No decisions have been made as of yet about the Southern emu-wren. Both the South Australian government and the federal environment department under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act are looking into the concerns.

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