Rocket Lab’s space port on the Mahia PeninsulaPicture supplied
Rocket Lab’s commercial space port in Māhia has been threatened with “property destruction” and disruption by a group angry because they say their wishes to stop military-backed launches from the site have been ignored.
A statement from East Coast community group Rocket Lab Monitor, which opposes launches of military satellites from United States-based company Rocket Lab’s Māhia space port, said locals had been misled and lied to about military launches and questioned the validity of recent consultation around New Zealand’s new Space Policy.
“MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) bureaucrats misled the public when they said feedback from consultation would inform space policy — dozens of submissions (34 in total) during consultation on the Space Policy opposed New Zealand space activities supporting the militarisation of Space. The final Space Policy doesn’t mention military activities at all,” group spokeswoman Sonya Smith said.
The group also claimed a payload named Gunsmoke-J launched for the US Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command (SMDC) in 2021 should have been classified as a weapon, although Rocket Lab has previously pointed out the payload was a test satellite and not a weapon.
“The launch pad, and control centre in Auckland, are essentially military installations and if the Government won’t restrict their activities then it is up to citizens to do so. Throughout recent history it is when citizens start damaging property that elected representatives start taking the issues seriously. This time seems to have arrived.
“Given official channels seem to have been exhausted, we believe that disrupting activities at the Rocket Lab launch site at Māhia and the control centre in Auckland is a legitimate next step in efforts to ensure the Māhia facility is not being used for the weaponisation of Space.”
The group is also critical that there had been no information collected on the greenhouse gas emissions produced by the space sector.
Protests are planned at the NZ Aerospace Summit in Christchurch over the next two days.
Auckland Peace Action yesterday held a picket outside MBIE’s offices in Wellington, in solidarity with Rocket Lab Monitor.
Since setting up a commercial launch site at Māhia in 2017, Rocket Lab launches have often included payloads for overseas defence and security agencies including National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) — a US military intelligence agency, and SMDC.
Two new, big pieces of legislation have recently been passed that allow the practice to continue.
New Zealand’s first National Security Strategy (NSS), which dovetails with the new national Space Policy was released in June.
Under the new policy, the New Zealand government can use “space-based assets and capabilities to protect and advance New Zealand’s national security interests”.
“This use is significantly reliant upon capabilities which are owned by our international partners,” the policy states.
The NSS, like the space policy, reiterated that all payloads launched from New Zealand must comply with the Outer Space and High-altitude Activities Act 2017 and all other New Zealand legislation, including the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act 1987.
The policy also points out New Zealand is a signatory to the Combined Space Operations (CSpO), a military space initiative consisting of New Zealand, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. The collective aim of this is to ensure space operations promote a “secure, stable, safe, peaceful, and operationally sustainable space domain”.
Rocket Lab senior communications director Morgan Bailey said the company already had “robust” security in place at both the Māhia launch facility and its Auckland mission control.
“It’s disappointing to see the spread of misinformation and the incitement of destruction.
“New Zealand is reliant on national security and military satellites for defence purposes and everyday life. They play a crucial role in providing communications, information gathering, and situational awareness to New Zealand forces around the world and at home, including during natural disasters to enable humanitarian relief efforts. For example, the NZDF’s response and rescue efforts in the wake of Cyclone Gabrielle’s devastation were enabled by space systems including navigation, satellite imagery and communications. Space-based systems like GPS, which is operated by the military, are also vital for enabling things like commercial air travel, international shipping and freight, agriculture, Google maps, and even bank transactions.
“Rocket Lab does not and will not launch weapons. Not only is this something we have committed to as a company, but it also against the law in New Zealand to launch any payloads or satellites of this nature.
“An Electron launch emits less CO2 that most commercial airplane flights, of which there are thousands every year.
“Rocket Lab is currently undertaking work to release CO2 emissions data this year to provide more information on this. In addition, the satellites Rocket Lab launches provide vital data to scientists conducting climate research. For example, we recently launched the TROPICS satellite constellation for NASA which tracks cyclone intensity in real time to provide advance warning and better forecasting to people in the path of devastating storms. Rocket Lab has also been selected to launch two satellites tasked with monitoring Arctic warming, sea ice loss, ice sheet melt, and sea level rise.”
MBIE Space Policy and Sector Development manager Andrew Johnson said “all feedback” received through the National Space Policy Review in September and October 2022 was considered and informed the values and objectives in the National Space Policy.
“A Cabinet paper published in May 2023 states there were ‘some suggestions to ban the launch of “military payloads”.
“Cabinet agreed that there will be no blanket ban on payloads with national security applications as that would preclude considering New Zealand’s interests (e.g. defence and security, foreign affairs, economic and other interests) at the time of assessing applications. Payloads continue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis as part of a multi-agency government process.”
FURTHER READING:
https://www.gisborneherald.co.nz/news/payload-details-redacted
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