Space Force wants 7 new telescopes in Hawaii. Local residents say 'no'

Many Hawaii residents oppose plans from the U.S. Space Force to build a suite of new telescopes designed to track satellites and prevent them from colliding in orbit.

The Department of the Air Force has proposed building up to seven new telescopes and an optics lab on the summit of Haleakala on the Hawaiian Island of Maui. The project, called the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site Small Telescope Advanced Research (AMOS STAR) facility, would occupy about an acre of land near the Haleakalā Observatory. A series of three public scoping meetings about the project were held between May 13 -15, allowing community members to voice their concerns as an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being drafted to outline how the project could impact its surrounding environment.

At one of the recent meetings, local Hawaiians strongly voiced their opposition to the construction of the telescope, Hawaii News Now reported. "This project is not merely about stars and satellites," a resident said at a meeting on May 14. "It is a continuation of settled colonial projects."

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"Over the last two nights, I think there must be at least 99 percent 'no,'" another resident said during one of the meetings, Hawaii News Now reported. "Is that enough? If not, what will it take?"

Despite the objections, U.S. military officials stress that it is necessary for U.S. national security and space domain awareness.

"As more things are in orbit, more objects, there's more potential for collision," a military official said during a public meeting on May 14 at the Mayor H. Tavares Community Center in Pukalani, according to Hawaii News Now. "With more objects in space, we need more telescopes to more frequently track the objects in space."

The U.S. Space Force has previously faced criticism surrounding the proposed AMOS STAR facility in prior meetings, especially after 700 gallons of diesel fuel leaked from a malfunctioning generator at the space surveillance complex last year. Native Hawaiians claim the project is desecrating sacred spaces and is negatively impacting their mental, emotional and spiritual health.

Other telescope projects on Hawaiian islands have faced similar opposition in the past.

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Plans for the AMOS STAR facility include up to seven telescopes enclosed in domes that would be constructed on a developed site adjacent to the Haleakalā Observatory and the 15th Space Surveillance Squadron (15 SPSS) Maui Space Surveillance Complex (MSSC), from which the new telescopes would be primarily operated remotely. Building the new facility would require fiber optic links from the MSSC, a paved access drive and parking facilities, surface water runoff management measures, and other site improvements.

Public comments on the proposed site will be accepted through June 7 and can be submitted on the project website at www.amosstareis.com, via email to amosstareis@tetratech.com, or mailed to AMOS STAR EIS c/o Tetra Tech, 1230 Columbia St., Ste. 1000, San Diego, CA 92101.