NASA selects Hawaii for worlds first laser communication site (Hilo: 2015, university)

[Due]

Per Pacific Business News:

NASA selects Hawaii to develop world's first laser communications site - Pacific Business News
http://esc.gsfc.nasa.gov/267/271.html


This is interesting. From what I understand it will be located in Maui (temporarily?):
UH Hilo is involved (Pacific Business News: "The Hawaii Office of Aerospace Development, which promotes the growth and diversification of the state's aerospace industry, is working with the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) at the University of Hawaii Hilo and NASA to coordinate the installation of a prototype").

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Due

This is interesting. From what I understand it will be located in Maui (temporarily?):

UH Hilo is involved (Pacific Business News: "The Hawaii Office of Aerospace Development, which promotes the growth and diversification of the state's aerospace industry, is working with the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) at the University of Hawaii Hilo and NASA to coordinate the installation of a prototype").

The observatories on Mauna Kea constitute the highest density of astronomical observation and research in the world. So it seems strange to me that this project, under the direction of UH-Hilo, would locate itself on Maui, an airplane flight distant from the rest.

Two possible reasons occurred to me for the change in expected venue from Mauna Kea...

1) Less hassle? There has been such concentrated and acrimonious opposition and delay by Native Hawaiians to further expansion of the Mauna Kea observatory complex in recent years, because they consider it to be sacred land, that this might be an attempt to perform an end run so it can be built faster.

2) Less interference with existing facilities? Ordinary lighting is somewhat restricted all over the Big Island to reduce light pollution which might interfere with the astronomy. So you might want a bit of distance between the telescopes and a facility sending powerful blasts of laser light into the atmosphere.

[Due]

I thought about the lighting too and also not sure the laser would interfere with the observatories vision; I believe they use lasers to direct the telescopes. Maybe a conflict.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Due

I thought about the lighting too and also not sure the laser would interfere with the observatories vision; I believe they use lasers to direct the telescopes. Maybe a conflict.

The lasers used to measure atmospheric shifts, this allowing corrections to the telescope positioning during long exposures, are narrowly defined and outside the field of view, plus the aiming point of the various instruments is coordinated so as not to interfere with each other.

Seems to me this new communications laser is a different animal completely, both more powerful and possibly operating whenever the moon is in the visible sky, therefore much harder to work around. It's pure speculation on my part, but after consideration I think this is the most likely explanation.

[hotzcatz]

They may need the supercomputer on Maui?

We have an "Office of Aerospace Development"?

[Due]

Originally Posted by hotzcatz

They may need the supercomputer on Maui?

We have an "Office of Aerospace Development"?

Didn't consider the supercomputer and thanks for that info and this:
Office of Aerospace Development | Aerospace Hawai

[OpenD]

Oh, yeah, Aerospace R Us... the Mars Rover was test driven over on the Kona side where the natural landscape is similar to Mars... and that's where the Biosphere research is being done, with people locked up in a sealed atmosphere for a year or more... and there was serious consideration given to launching satellites from South Point, because of the advantages of launching close to the equator. But apparently it was too far distant from Costco, or something like that.