NASA discovers the latest U.S. project on an abandoned island

Washington is moving forward with the restoration of a base on Johnston Atoll, a strategic enclave in the Pacific known for its dark history of nuclear and chemical testing.

Netflix DOWNLOAD

Recent satellite images have confirmed ongoing efforts to reactivate this facility, which focus on developing a global military supply transport program using rockets, known as Rocket Cargo Vanguard.

The U.S. Air Force has announced plans to build two landing platforms on the island, with up to ten tests planned each year for four years, depending on the ongoing environmental assessment.

An island with a dark and nuclear past

This location was chosen for its remote geography, its U.S. control, and its adequate logistical capabilities, surpassing other sites evaluated such as Kwajalein or Midway Island for operational reasons.

Johnston Atoll has had a controversial military use in the past, being a center for atmospheric nuclear testing and storage of biological and chemical weapons until its closure in 2003. Currently, despite its status as a national refuge, unused military infrastructures can be observed, such as a 2.7 km runway, which would be used for the new program.

The Rocket Cargo aims to leverage commercial rockets, such as SpaceX’s Starship, which has had a mixed operational history. Despite the issues experienced in previous tests, the Pentagon remains interested in deploying these systems for critical operations, due to their large payload capacity and reusability.

Netflix DOWNLOAD

If the environmental assessment is favorable, Johnston Atoll could be reformed into an impressive logistical asset for the U.S. Space Force, ensuring rapid mobilization of resources in an increasingly uncertain world.