Hoku Ke‘a decommissioning to begin this month

The decommissioning of University of Hawaii at Hilo’s educational observatory on Maunakea will begin later this month.

The Hoku Ke‘a Observatory — which has been unused for more than a decade after the teaching telescope that it was meant to house was found to be faulty — will be demolished over the next five months, with the process to begin at an unspecified date in March.

The observatory is the second of five Maunakea telescope to be decommissioned as part of the terms for the planned future construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope. The first was the California Institute of Technology’s Submillimeter Observatory, whose removal is scheduled to be completed by the fall.

Hoku Ke‘a’s decommissioning will include the removal of the observatory building itself, along with a nearby generator building and associated telecommunication and electrical infrastructure. Following removal, work will continue to restore the site to a natural state.

“We are approaching this process with the utmost respect for this precious wahi pana and remain committed to transparency, environmental responsibility, and the preservation of our revered mauna,” said Greg Chun, director of UH-Hilo’s Center for Maunakea Stewardship, in a statement.

Crews working on the project will undergo cultural training as mandated by the university’s Maunakea Comprehensive Management Plan, and daily prayers and Native Hawaiian cultural protocols will precede all work.