Christmas Island?

Space Centre for Christmas Island?

P resident leremia Tabai of Kiribati has shown keen interest in a Japanese proposal to build a space centre on Christmas Island, the world’s biggest island of pure coral, comprising nearly half the country’s land mass and re garded as the future economic centre.

The island is also very near to the Equator, making it an ideal location for space launchings.

Towards the end of June, Mr Tabai met Tokugoro Kuri bayashi, managing director of NBK Corporation in Tokyo, Secretary of the Japanese Paci fic Space Centre Council and Kiribati’s honorary consul in Tokyo. After extensive talks with the president, Mr Kuri bayashi expressed support for Kiribati as the choice for the space centre but warned of any delay at reaching a decision.

“If the people of Kiribati and their government sit and sleep on this, the space centre will go to Hawaii,” he said, explaining that the United States Govern ment and, especially, Hawaii, were very keen to persuade the Japanese to switch the centre to Hawaii. And, he added, Amer ican scientists and space experts were meeting in July in Hawaii to frame an invitation to the Japanese to consider building their centre there. However, US interests would find it hard to woo his organisation away from Kiribati as Christmas Island was a better location because it was near the Equator, which re duced orbital manoeuvering and velocity loss during laun ching of geostationary satellites.

Mr Kuribayashi emphasised

that, if the Kiribatese people and their government gave the OK, the Japanese interested parties would discuss the formation of a special commit tee with President Tabai as the chairman.

The cost of the space station, estimated at US$B billion, would cover construction of the launching platform, renovation and expansion of the island airport and other facilities along with many more developments.

The Japanese anticipate that the huge cost of the project will be offset by the tourism poten tial and the income generated through the use of the station by other nations such as Austra

lia and New Zealand. Plans also include the provision of more hotels and golf courses, facilities for water sports, and creation of a university of space studies.

What President Tabai is thinking has not been revealed but such a centre could bring great benefits to a poor nation like Kiribati which has little wealth outside its copra planta tions and its marine resources.

Christmas only earnings are from fish exports to Hawaii and the fee for the Japanese track ing station NASDA. More re venue is expected from the planned export of solar salt and from American tourists who

come to watch the birds or pursue the game-fish - small pickings compared to a space centre. Batiri T. Batau

Millions of birds including this young frigate bird inhabit Christmas Island, all year round. What if the blasting came from the Space Centre?