03-12-2016, 07:09 PM
Interesting indeed. Here are a few articles from past efforts:
Circa 1988
http://articles.latimes.com/1988-04-05/n...big-island
Hawaiians Are Hustling to Get Spaceport on Big Island Site
April 05, 1988|LEE DYE | Times Science Writer
NAALEHU, Hawaii — A barren, wind-swept point near this small community will be transformed into the nation's first commercial spaceport during the next few years if the state of Hawaii has its way.
State officials from the governor down are aggressively courting the international space industry with a multimillion-dollar program aimed at paving the way for companies to come here and build whatever they need to launch small payloads into orbit.
The proposed site would offer the unique advantage of being the only prospective spaceport in the nation where it would be possible to launch payloads into either polar or equatorial orbits, a flexibility that could save the launch industry millions of dollars in the years ahead because they could use the same facilities for a wide variety of launches.
The state is spending about $6 million on feasibility and environmental studies, plus limited site preparation, but the goal is to get commercial companies to actually build the facilities for their own use.
Then, in 2013:
Government officials have been eyeing Ka‘u for a spaceport as far back as the 1960s.
But the latest proposal — revealed by Rep. Cindy Evans, D-North Kona, Kohala, at a community meeting last week — may be a hard sell, particularly in a county where the top executive wrote the legal brief that brought down the last spaceport plan.
“I’m supportive of astronomy, the University of Hawaii, new science technology,” Mayor Billy Kenoi said Tuesday. “We’re far, far away from any approvals” to allow satellite or rocket launching here, though.
Kenoi learned of the most recent proposal when West Hawaii Today reported on it last week. No one has approached county officials with any information, he added. Evans, at the community meeting, said she couldn’t remember who had brought the idea to the state’s Office of Aerospace Development, within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. A message left with the Aerospace Development office was not returned Tuesday. Evans also did not respond to a message late Tuesday.
Kenoi, in 1994 a student at the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law, joined in the fight against C. Brewer and Co.’s proposed satellite launching facility on 500 acres in Ka‘u. Former Gov. John Waihee, who had been a proponent of the project since C. Brewer owner J.W.A. “Doc” Buyers made the proposal in 1986, had accepted the project’s environmental impact statement in December 1993, his last month in office, Kenoi said.
“The issue was that the EIS, done by CH2M Hill, was insufficient, inadequate,” Kenoi said. It failed to consider all the potential adverse impacts.”
Kenoi didn’t say he outright opposed a new spaceport proposal. Technological improvements and more awareness of, and mitigation of, cultural and environmental impacts could make for a viable proposal, he said. But without seeing a proposal, just hearing someone is talking about a spaceport “raises more questions than it answers.”
Then, in late 2015 (November 4th / More at link- Extensive article):
http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/loc...ce-flights
Should Kona International Airport host Hawaii’s first commercial space flights?
That’s a question that could be brought before Big Island residents close to the new year following the completion of a draft environmental assessment for a proposed spaceport certification.
The environmental review is needed before the state applies for a launch site operator license with the Federal Aviation Administration. If approved, space tourism companies then would be able to apply for their own individual licenses to use the airport.
The flights would take wealthy passengers into suborbit, where they can experience weightlessness.
Jim Crisafulli, state Office of Aerospace Development director, said he anticipates public meetings regarding the findings of the review to be in Kailua-Kona early next year, possibly in January.
The state could apply for the license within six months after the document is finalized, assuming a finding of no significant impact, he said.
Interesting, indeed. Good for discussion, and pondering.
JMO.
Circa 1988
http://articles.latimes.com/1988-04-05/n...big-island
Hawaiians Are Hustling to Get Spaceport on Big Island Site
April 05, 1988|LEE DYE | Times Science Writer
NAALEHU, Hawaii — A barren, wind-swept point near this small community will be transformed into the nation's first commercial spaceport during the next few years if the state of Hawaii has its way.
State officials from the governor down are aggressively courting the international space industry with a multimillion-dollar program aimed at paving the way for companies to come here and build whatever they need to launch small payloads into orbit.
The proposed site would offer the unique advantage of being the only prospective spaceport in the nation where it would be possible to launch payloads into either polar or equatorial orbits, a flexibility that could save the launch industry millions of dollars in the years ahead because they could use the same facilities for a wide variety of launches.
The state is spending about $6 million on feasibility and environmental studies, plus limited site preparation, but the goal is to get commercial companies to actually build the facilities for their own use.
Then, in 2013:
Government officials have been eyeing Ka‘u for a spaceport as far back as the 1960s.
But the latest proposal — revealed by Rep. Cindy Evans, D-North Kona, Kohala, at a community meeting last week — may be a hard sell, particularly in a county where the top executive wrote the legal brief that brought down the last spaceport plan.
“I’m supportive of astronomy, the University of Hawaii, new science technology,” Mayor Billy Kenoi said Tuesday. “We’re far, far away from any approvals” to allow satellite or rocket launching here, though.
Kenoi learned of the most recent proposal when West Hawaii Today reported on it last week. No one has approached county officials with any information, he added. Evans, at the community meeting, said she couldn’t remember who had brought the idea to the state’s Office of Aerospace Development, within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. A message left with the Aerospace Development office was not returned Tuesday. Evans also did not respond to a message late Tuesday.
Kenoi, in 1994 a student at the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law, joined in the fight against C. Brewer and Co.’s proposed satellite launching facility on 500 acres in Ka‘u. Former Gov. John Waihee, who had been a proponent of the project since C. Brewer owner J.W.A. “Doc” Buyers made the proposal in 1986, had accepted the project’s environmental impact statement in December 1993, his last month in office, Kenoi said.
“The issue was that the EIS, done by CH2M Hill, was insufficient, inadequate,” Kenoi said. It failed to consider all the potential adverse impacts.”
Kenoi didn’t say he outright opposed a new spaceport proposal. Technological improvements and more awareness of, and mitigation of, cultural and environmental impacts could make for a viable proposal, he said. But without seeing a proposal, just hearing someone is talking about a spaceport “raises more questions than it answers.”
Then, in late 2015 (November 4th / More at link- Extensive article):
http://hawaiitribune-herald.com/news/loc...ce-flights
Should Kona International Airport host Hawaii’s first commercial space flights?
That’s a question that could be brought before Big Island residents close to the new year following the completion of a draft environmental assessment for a proposed spaceport certification.
The environmental review is needed before the state applies for a launch site operator license with the Federal Aviation Administration. If approved, space tourism companies then would be able to apply for their own individual licenses to use the airport.
The flights would take wealthy passengers into suborbit, where they can experience weightlessness.
Jim Crisafulli, state Office of Aerospace Development director, said he anticipates public meetings regarding the findings of the review to be in Kailua-Kona early next year, possibly in January.
The state could apply for the license within six months after the document is finalized, assuming a finding of no significant impact, he said.
Interesting, indeed. Good for discussion, and pondering.
JMO.