October 16, 2009: Australia's Defense Department is trying to block Chinese participation in a mining operation within the Woomera missile range. It was feared that the Chinese presence would lead to spying on the many military activities that take place within the Woomera facility. Actually, the Woomera operation is a group of different missile and aircraft test ranges, taking up 127,000 square kilometers (the size of England). Many of these ranges are wired, or covered with sensors, to record weapons performance. This is the second time this year that the Australian government has blocked an attempt by a Chinese government operate in or near Woomera (where some mining is allowed.) Officially, the reason given was that it was too dangerous to operate in the areas the Chinese wanted to work.