火箭发射设施建设威胁澳大利亚野生动物

澳大利亚正在规划多处火箭发射设施的建设，其中南方发射公司提议在南澳艾尔半岛的鲸鱼湾建设新的沿海火箭发射基地。1鲸鱼湾拟建地是一个自然保护区，栖息着超过700种本地物种，包括两种濒危鸟类和濒危的澳洲海狮。1澳大利亚现有两个火箭发射设施，分别位于北昆州的博文轨道航天港和南澳的库尼巴测试场。1

火箭发射操作对野生动物构成多方面威胁。1栖息地破毁、极端噪音、化学污染、不受控爆炸和火灾风险都可能危害野生动物。1这一问题具有全球普遍性，全球超过60%的火箭发射设施位于或靠近自然保护区。1南澳本地植被委员会的一项裁决已使该项目的未来受到质疑。1库尼巴或塞杜纳以西的已清理沿海地点可能更适合作为发射设施地点，以避免对鲸鱼湾等生态敏感区域的威胁。1

Australia's expansion into commercial spaceflight comes with significant environmental risks that warrant careful site selection and regulatory oversight. Southern Launch has proposed building a new coastal rocket launch facility at Whale Bay on South Australia's Eyre Peninsula 1, an area that would pose serious threats to local biodiversity. The proposed site sits within a nature reserve inhabited by over 700 native species, including two endangered bird species and the endangered Australian sea lion 1.

Rocket launch facilities typically inflict damage on wildlife through multiple pathways, including habitat destruction, extreme noise, chemical pollution, uncontrolled explosions, and fire risk 1. This concern is not unique to Australia: globally, more than 60 percent of rocket launch facilities are situated at or near protected areas 1. The country already operates two existing rocket launch facilities—Bowen Orbital Spaceport in North Queensland and Koonibba Test Range in South Australia 1—but the proposed Whale Bay facility would be Australia's first dedicated coastal launch site for commercial operations.

A ruling by the South Australian Native Vegetation Council has cast doubt on the project's future 1, suggesting that environmental considerations may yet prevail. Experts have identified alternative locations that may be better suited for launch operations, including Koonibba or cleared coastal areas west of Ceduna 1, which would spare critical wildlife habitats while still supporting Australia's emerging space industry.