Tor Ohnson | USFWS
UPDATE: Military Suspended Plans for Cargo Rocket Testing on Kalama (Johnston Atoll)
July 3, 2025 – The Department of Air Force suspended plans for cargo rocket testing at Kalama (Johnston Atoll) – a national wildlife refuge and culturally and ecologically significant area protected within the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument. In a statement, the military announced that it will not pursue the Environmental Assessment and instead will explore alternative options for the rocket cargo Vanguard program at a location other than Johnston Atoll.
This win is a result of our collective advocacy and demonstrates the power of standing up to protect the places we care about.
While the Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition applauds this news, the work may not be over. We continue to stand for the protection and healing of Kalama (Johnston Atoll).
Amplify the Coalition Statement
Amplify our Coalition’s statement and social media posts, and follow @PIHCoalition for more updates on this issue.
“The Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition is pleased that the Department of Air Force has halted its destructive and short-sighted plans to test rocket cargo landings at a national wildlife refuge. Kalama (Johnston Atoll) is culturally and biologically tied to Pacific people–and it’s already endured decades of abuse, including chemical and nuclear contamination from US military operations. This moment shows that collective advocacy works. We will continue to stand for the protection and healing of this special place.”
-Sheila Sarhangi, director, Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition
Why Kalama Matters
Wildlife Refuge
Kalama is a habitat for nearly 1.5 million seabirds of 15 different species, and is home to the world’s largest known nesting population of red-tailed tropicbirds. Its surrounding waters contain more than 300 species of fish – including at least one endemic species found nowhere else on Earth – and a coral reef spanning 32,000 acres. The area is a habitat for dolphins, apex predators like tiger sharks, and threatened and endangered wildlife, including the green sea turtle and Hawaiian monk seals.
Invaluable Cultural Heritage
The area has invaluable cultural and spiritual significance, including for Indigenous Pacific Islanders’ cross-oceanic migration and voyaging traditions. Yet, the island has endured nearly a century of military control, including nuclear testing, toxic chemical munitions stockpiling, and hazardous waste incineration.
History of Harm
For nearly a century, Kalama has been controlled by the US Armed Forces and has endured the destructive practices of coral dredging and filling, atmospheric nuclear testing, and stockpiling and incineration of toxic chemical munitions, including over two million tons of Agent Orange. The area needs to heal, but instead, the military is choosing to cause more irreversible harm. Enough is enough.
Dangerous Testing Record and Risks
Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has been identified as a potential defense contractor for this project, has experienced various catastrophic rocket failures, including explosive incidents as recently as January and March 2025. These explosions disrupted commercial flights and rained hazardous space debris—risks that will cause irreversible damage to this habitat and its species. Further, the proposed rocket testing is dangerously close to buried radioactive plutonium-contaminated soil from failed nuclear testing that could jeopardize the health of marine life and human health in the Pacific.