SpaceX announced on the 4th Beijing time that the eighth test flight of the Starship super heavy rocket, originally scheduled for the same day, has been postponed. At the same time, the US "Power" website revealed that the Pentagon is considering a major construction project at Johnston Atoll in the Pacific Ocean for the US Air Force to use large commercial rockets such as "Starships" to achieve rapid global cargo transportation. On the 3rd, the "Power" website stated that the US Air Force proposed a so-called "point-to-point" global rapid cargo transportation plan several years ago, which uses the carrying capacity of large commercial rockets to quickly transport goods to any designated location around the world within a few hours. In June 2021, the Pentagon launched the "Rocket Cargo Pioneer" experimental military project to conduct research on "landing rockets on non-traditional surfaces," "designing rocket cargo holds that can quickly load and unload," and "using rocket cargo ships to drop cargo. The Pentagon stated in a statement that "once implemented, rocket freight will fundamentally change the pattern of rapid logistics supply, delivering supplies to joint combat personnel in a very short amount of time. In the event of conflict or humanitarian crisis, the US military will be able to use space to achieve our national leadership." The report stated that an environmental impact assessment of a military logistics project to be launched by the US Air Force now shows that the US military is preparing to build two landing sites at Johnston Atoll in the remote Pacific Ocean. After the completion of construction here, up to 10 landing tests of re-entry vehicles can be conducted annually, and related tests may start as early as this year. Previously, the US military had inspected several remote locations in the Pacific, including Kwajalein Atoll, Midway Island, and Wake Island, and ultimately determined Johnston Atoll as the best location. Because the atoll is the only location that meets all operational standards: remote, safe, under US control, accessible by air or sea, and capable of supporting the transportation of re-entry vehicles by barge. It is reported that Johnston Atoll is located about 700 nautical miles southwest of Hawaii and has a considerable military history. Since the 1930s, it has been a center for US nuclear testing, missile defense, chemical weapons storage, and even Air Force anti satellite weapon testing. From 1958 to 1975, the United States conducted multiple nuclear tests near the atoll, the most famous of which was the "Starfish One" space nuclear test conducted in July 1962. At that time, the US military detonated a 1.4 million ton nuclear warhead in space about 400 kilometers from the ground, which was the largest nuclear test conducted by humans in outer space. After the US Army finally completed the retirement, dismantling, and environmental cleanup of chemical weapons on the island in 2003, the base was actually abandoned by the US military, leaving only a large runway of about 2700 meters. However, in recent years, this desolate island located deep in the Pacific Ocean has once again attracted the attention of the US military. Some at the Pentagon have suggested that it be included as part of a comprehensive upgrade project for the US Pacific airport, "serving as an emergency airport in the event of a Pacific conflict. According to US media reports, the landing site planned to be built on Johnston Atoll will serve the US military's global rapid cargo transportation program. In 2020, the US military revealed that it was collaborating with SpaceX and other industry partners to study plans for transporting goods via rockets. General Stephen Lyons, then commander of the United States Transportation Command, stated that the Pentagon's goal was to use large commercial rockets to transport goods equivalent to the cargo capacity of a C-17 transport plane (approximately 85.5 tons) "to any place in the world within one hour" at a relatively low cost. In 2021, the US Air Force explicitly provided funding for the "Rocket Cargo Vanguard" program in the 2022 fiscal year budget. The Pentagon requires the transportation of payloads weighing up to 100 tons (including cargo and personnel) to forward positions through orbital or suborbital flights. In early 2022, the US Air Force further awarded SpaceX a 5-year, $102 million contract to collect flight data from the Starship program to test the technical feasibility of "point-to-point" cargo and humanitarian rapid transportation. According to the US Air Force, current military transportation methods require days to weeks of planning to deliver supplies to distant locations at the appropriate time, and using rocket transportation can shorten this process to several hours. Starship "is claimed to be the largest and most powerful rocket in history, capable of carrying payloads weighing up to 150 tons and possessing fully reusable features, which can greatly reduce operating costs. Meanwhile, its second stage 'starship' spacecraft is capable of vertical landing, making it suitable for a wider range of landing sites. The maximum speed of the "Starship" is 27000 kilometers per hour, and SpaceX has envisioned using it to perform rapid personnel transportation within the Earth's range, achieving a "one hour transportation circle on Earth". The US Air Force's plan has also sparked controversy, especially regarding the safety of large commercial rockets and their survivability when landing at forward positions. The report states that what is even more troublesome is that the current development progress of the "Starship" is seriously lagging behind. According to information released by SpaceX, the "Starship" was originally scheduled to be launched from its base in Boca Chica, Texas at 17:45 Central Time on the 3rd (7:45 Beijing Time on the 4th), but was halted 40 seconds after the launch countdown. Subsequently, SpaceX announced on social media that the launch mission on that day was cancelled due to "unconfirmed issues with the rocket system core". On January 16th of this year, during the seventh test flight of the "Starship", the second stage of the "Starship" spacecraft suddenly disintegrated during its ascent. The investigation results show that it is possible that the vibration intensity of the spacecraft during flight was much higher than expected, resulting in greater stress on the propulsion system equipment, ultimately leading to fuel leakage and explosion. In addition to the Starship, the US Air Force is also discussing the possibility of using its rockets to transport cargo globally with Rocket Lab. (New Society)