By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemdia.net

ALTHOUGH SpaceX had hoped to resume booster landings in The Bahamas soon, the government said yesterday that no future landings would be permitted until the company completes a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) and submits a post-launch report on the historic Falcon 9 landing that occurred in February.

Deputy Prime Minister Chester Cooper made the announcement yesterday.

An Environmental Baseline Statement (EBS) by BRON, a local consulting firm acting on behalf of SpaceX, was released in February. The statement concluded that booster landings were expected to have minimal impact on marine life, water quality, and local ecosystems. However, environmentalists have argued that a comprehensive EIA would offer a deeper analysis of potential risks and outline mitigation measures.

Mr Cooper noted yesterday that the Falcon 9 programme boasts a 99 percent success rate, with more than 400 launches to date. Still, he acknowledged the company has experienced challenges.

Director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection (DEPP), Dr Rhianna Neely, said her department is still awaiting the post-launch report from SpaceX, which is expected before Easter.

“SpaceX is aware that no other re-entry exercises will be considered for DEPP’s clearance until the post launch report has been reviewed by the DEPP,” Dr Neely said.

She added that previous documents should be updated with new findings and lessons learned, and that a public consultation should be held.

She said officials want to ensure that the environment remained unchanged from its pre-launch state.

SpaceX’s vice president of launch, Kiko Dontchev, said BRON had submitted preliminary findings from the post-launch report, which Dr Neely had not seen. He said the report found no significant differences in environmental conditions before and after the landing. While there was a temporary increase in sound during the landing, no changes in marine life were observed. Water quality remained stable, and bird species present before the launch were still observed in the area.

“Our assessment is that there was no impact from the landing,” Mr Dontchev said.

He stressed that the findings were preliminary and that a full report would be made public.

Addressing calls from environmentalists for an EIA, Mr Dontchev said officials heard the their feedback.

He added that SpaceX hopes to complete the EIA by the end of summer and resume landings thereafter.

The economic impact of space tourism in The Bahamas has also come into focus. Mr Cooper said the February landing could have sparked a greater interest among students inspiring them to pursue STEM studies. SpaceX also announced its $1m donation to the University of The Bahamas in support of STEM education.