THE SENATE

THE TWENTY-FIFTH LEGISLATURE

REGULAR SESSION OF 2009

 

COMMITTEE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

Senator Carol Fukunaga, Chair

Senator Rosalyn H. Baker, Vice Chair

 

COMMITTEE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Senator Jill N. Tokuda, Chair

Senator Norman Sakamoto, Vice Chair

 

NOTICE OF INFORMATIONAL BRIEFING

 

 

DATE:

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

TIME:

1:30 p.m.

PLACE:

Conference Room 016

State Capitol

415 South Beretania Street

 

A G E N D A

 

Dr. Frank Schowengerdt, Professor of Physics and Director of the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems (PISCES) at UH Hilo, will present an overview of and update on this Center.  The Legislature provided initial seed funding for PISCES in 2007 to support its development as a research and education center in Hawaii dedicated to developing technologies to sustain life on the Moon and beyond.  Since then it has attracted significant attention and funding from NASA, the Canadian and German Space Agencies, and aerospace companies such as Boeing and Lockheed-Martin; established innovative aerospace education curricula at UH Hilo; and coordinated extensive robotic field tests on Mauna Kea.

 

A major future component of PISCES will be a full-scale, technically valid lunar habitat on the Big Island that will simulate a future outpost on the Moon (where astronauts and other aerospace professionals can train for future space missions).  Dr. Schowengerdt has assembled an outstanding team of aerospace professionals to help develop PISCES and will discuss their vision for this program and plans for its future.

Testimony

 

 

 

If you require special assistance or auxiliary aids or services to participate in the public hearing process (i.e., sign or foreign language interpreter, wheelchair accessibility, or parking designated for the disabled) please contact the committee clerk 24 hours prior to the hearing so arrangements can be made.

 

Please note:  All testimony received by the Hawaii Senate will be posted on the Hawaii Legislature's Website.  Documents made available through the Testimony hyperlink(s) above may not be posted until the start of the hearing.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CALL THE COMMITTEE CLERK AT 586-6890 or 586-7215.

 

 

 

________________________________________

Senator Jill Tokuda

Chair

 

________________________________________

Senator Carol Fukunaga

Chair