Hawaii: A Stepping Stone to Space?

Abstract

The idea of launching satellites into orbit from island of Hawaii conjures bizarre images of high technology amid palm trees, flaming rockets against azure seas and golden sands. NASA first looked at possibility more than a quarter-century ago, barely five years into Space Age, but it never came to fruition. Now a study financed by state itself, to tune of more than half a million dollars, has resulted in selection of what study's authors call the best site for a Hawaii commercial space launching facility. It is by no means a fait accompli, however. State officials crave income that spaceport-related industries might bring to Hawaii's tourism-dependent economy, and plan offers what might turn out to be a unique advantage as only U.S. launch site from which spacecraft could be sent into either equatorial or pole-crossing orbits. But George Mead, special projects manager for Hawaii's Department of Business and Economic Development, notes that state would neither build nor pay for island spaceport; nor would federal government. The state, he says, would provide only an access road, electricity, water and similar services up to [outside of] fence. Instead, it would be a true test of a theme long touted by President Reagan and formally set forth in his new space policy directive: an increased role for private enterprise. And there are other bridges to cross. The study, conducted by Arthur D. Little, Inc. (ADL) of Cambridge, Mass., began a year ago and is scheduled to be completed by early April, according to ADL Vice-President Harry Foden. The first six months went for an overall evaluation of what benefits space-related activities could bring to state, which is already home to growing complex of telescopes on Mauna Kea as well as sounding rocket activities conducted by Defense Department. Part 2 identified seven candidate sites, which were then narrowed down to a preferred location and an alternate, based on a variety of environmental, economic and other factors. The selected region, which was announced Feb. 22, is called Palima Point, southwest of southern boundary of Volcanoes National Park. There are no residences in area, which is large enough to encompass plan's objective of four launch pads, each capable of supporting rockets size of a Titan, plus a 1.5-mile safety area and a 2.9-mile public control zone. The alternate site is Kahilipali Point, farther south around island, which according to study offers same safety margins but with a complicating factor. The area includes property belonging to more than 100 different landowners, as well as leaseholdings in territory set aside by Congress some 60 years ago as homeland for native Hawaiians. The issue of Hawaiian-native homes is a controversial one. Both of selected sites are in a district called Ka'u, where a citizen's action group opposed an ultimately unsuccessful 1982 attempt by Houston-based Space Services, Inc. (SSI) to set a private launch facility The economic situation of many Ka'u residents is difficult. Unemployment in district is reported at nearly 12 percent, and a significant portion of local population receives aid from Hawaii County Economic Opportunity Program. Another factor is possible effect that developing a rocket-launch facility could have on big telescopes on Mauna Kea, about 45 miles away. There are essentially three varieties of contamination needing further study, says Mead. Light pollution (caused not necessarily by launches themselves but by related construction and operations) is likely to be small, he says, and can probably be remedied by shielding or other methods. Also, Mead adds, interference from radio frequencies used by such activities should be minor. The third category is upper-atmospheric pollution due to rocket exhaust, and that one, according to Mead, will need further study in course of preparing an environmental impact statement for planned launch facility Producing statement, he says, could take 18 months. Another consideration will be whether economics of private launch business will prompt a private firm actually to build and operate facility The cost and other obstacles, says SSI head and former astronaut Donald K. Slayton, could be formidable. Says Slayton, If you want my opinion, there will not be a commercial launch site built on Hawaii in this century. O W t < P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~alima Poin