NASA seeks renewal of state lease in Kōkeʻe to continue work to measure Earth’s rotation

The rotation of the Earth is not a constant metric, with many factors that can contribute to changes in rotation, including alterations to its mass and inertia caused by major weather or climate-related events.

To get accurate data on the Earth’s rotation, daily measurements of the variables are taken at Kōkeʻe Park Geophysical Observatory in Waimea and other National Aeronautics and Space Administration sites, said NASA scientist Stephen Merkowitz.

But NASA’s multiple leases with the State of Hawai’i for the land used by the observatory on Kauaʻi is set to expire in 2030. This includes a portion of that land that the U.S. Navy subleases from NASA.

On June 20, NASA and the Navy published a joint draft Environmental Impact Statement outlining their desire to renew their state-issued land leases. 

NASA’s leases cover 23 acres of land, including 16 acres of leaseholds and 7 acres of easement land. NASA said this location in the remote Koke’e wilderness is optimal for conducting daily data gathering.

“Having such a quiet, isolated location with very few radio broadcast interferences is really important for the quality and accuracy of our work,” Merkowitz said. 

According to NASA’s website, scientists collect these daily measurements at the Kauaʻi observatory and share this data with the broader scientific community.

This data supports the work of a wide range of scientific studies, including measuring sea level rise, changes to the planet’s ice sheets and forest coverage. These daily readings also help scientists calibrate GPS systems to get the most accurate readings as possible, Merkowitz said. 

While data from the Kōkeʻe Park Geophysical Observatory contributes to countless scientific initiatives across the globe, potentially moving these operations would cause logistic problems for NASA, Merkowitz said. 

The distance between Hawai’i and other NASA signals also contributes to the reliability of this data. In order to calculate these measurements, scientists rely on signals from at least two different locations. The longer the distance between signals, Merkowitz says, the more accurate the measurements can be. 

Irene Romero, an Environmental Program Manager at NASA, says that continuing these measurements from the same location is crucial for the accuracy of the data.

“Having a constant reference point allows us to understand changes to the movement of the Earth,” she said.  

NASA began operating and collecting data in Kōke’e State Park in 1961 and assisted the Project Mercury initiative, NASA’s first human spaceflight program. According to NASA, scientists at the observatory also supported the Apollo missions which sent the first humans to the moon.

In 1965, NASA officially contracted the 23-acre site from the State of Hawai’i, and have operated from there ever since. 

“If we lose this location, we risk losing the long history of this data,” Romero said. 

Merkowitz and Romero both say the impact of the observatory’s data is far-reaching, but NASA’s footprint in Koke’e is minimal. 

At the observatory, NASA only has an on-site staff of about five people who mostly specialize in maintenance and operations. Most of NASA’s scientists and researchers attached with the observatory work remotely from the mainland, mainly around the Washington D.C. area, Merkowitz said.

Romero said NASA does not intend to build more infrastructure at the observatory if the lease is extended. She also highlighted that observatory workers regularly contribute to invasive species removal initiatives and conduct endangered wildlife surveys. 

While crucial for the scientific community, these NASA activities are only a fraction of what occurs at the observatory. NASA only directly uses approximately 6 of the 23 acres that it officially leases from the state. The other portions of the leased land are subcontracted to the Navy, Merkowitz said.  

While NASA officials said they could not speak on the nature of the Navy’s activities on the site, a Navy media spokesperson said via email that the Navy conducts radar, telemetry and communications services in support of operations at the nearby Pacific Missile Range Facility.

The spokesperson said no military training or testing occurs at this site. 

Merkowitz said none of the Navy’s activities interfere with NASA’s radio receivers or monitoring, and that they have been supportive partners of NASA’s work. 

NASA and the Navy are welcoming comments from the public on the draft Environmental Impact Statement until August 7. 

The Navy and NASA will also host three public meetings. Each meeting will include a live online broadcast and public comment opportunity. 

The public meetings will take place on the following days:

• July 15 at Kaua‘i Veterans Center, located at 3215 Kaua‘i Veterans Memorial Highway in Līhuʻe
• July 16 at Kekaha Neighborhood Center, located at 8130 Elepaio Rd. in Kekaha
• July 17 at Sheraton Kaua‘i Coconut Beach Resort, Makai Ballroom, located at 650 Aleka Loop in Kapaʻa

All meetings will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. To participate online, register at PMRF-KPGO-EIS.com.