U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE VIA REUTERS A great frigatebird chick scolds neighboring seabirds as they fly past its nest on Johnston Island, within the Johnston Atoll National Wildlife Refuge in 2021. WASHINGTON >> The U.S. Air Force has suspended plans it had proposed with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to test hypersonic rocket cargo deliveries from a remote Pacific atoll, according to a report this week in Stars and Stripes, an independent publication of the U.S. military. The suspension came after Reuters reported that biologists and experts said the project would harm many seabirds that nest at the wildlife refuge on the Johnston Atoll, an unincorporated U.S. territory nearly 800 miles southwest of Hawaii. The Air Force had said it would undertake an environmental assessment of the project, but publication of a draft assessment was delayed after opposition to the plan by environmental groups. The Air Force and SpaceX did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Air Force is exploring alternative locations for the program, a spokesperson of the military branch told the Stars and Stripes newspaper in a story published Thursday. The program would use commercial rockets, such as those made by SpaceX, although the Air Force has not announced private partners. Don't miss out on what's happening! Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE! Email