Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!gvgpsa!gvgspd!bj From: bj@gvgspd.GVG.TEK.COM (Brion Johnson) Newsgroups: sci.space.shuttle Subject: Re: Hawaii as a launching site Summary: More alternative launch site considerations... Message-ID: <944@gvgspd.GVG.TEK.COM> Date: 21 Dec 89 20:47:22 GMT References: <3831@orion.cf.uci.edu> <9222@elsie.UUCP> <5766@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> Reply-To: bj@gvgspd.GVG.TEK.COM (Brion Johnson) Organization: The Grass Valley Group, Grass Valley, CA Lines: 24 Expires:1/5/90 In article <5766@uhccux.uhcc.hawaii.edu> doug@loihi.hig.hawaii.edu (Doug Myhre) writes: >they could just land the shuttle here. Our reef runway at Honolulu > >As for using South Point on the Big Island (Island of Hawaii) as a lanching >point, good luck. The people who want to make it a commercial space port >are having enough problems with the environmentalists. There would be >lengthy court battles, with much local resistance. If you were to put in an installation on the Big Island, it would make sense to put a runway there as well. You could make it as big as desired. However, isn't the weather often rainy? And with some amount of consistant winds? And also not to forget that there are active volcanos in the area, that have a tendency to coat manmade objects with lava on occasion. Manaua Kea is nice and high, but already occupied with several delicate astronomical installations. That, however, brings up a thought - is there any advantage to launching from the top or near top of some mountain, say at 15,000 feet or so? Henry, what do you think? Just thoughts. Brion