How is it possible for wildlife to peacefully coexist with space operations and what effects do shuttle launches have on wildlife?
NASA’s launch facilities, roads, and facilities take up about 10,000 acres of the 140,000 acres area that make up the refuge, or about 7% of the area. The rest of the area remains undeveloped and provides excellent habitat for wildlife.During shuttle launches, short term disturbance occurs in the immediate vicinity of the launch pads, but the disturbance is short-lived and wildlife fatalities are not common. Because of the location of the pads and the size of the area (35 miles in length) NASA operations actually have minimal effects on wildlife. Also remember, if it were not for NASA, the land would not have been purchased by the federal government and the wildlife habitats protected by this purchase would likely been replaced by subdivision, or commercial land use.
