Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station

The Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station is a United States Space Force installation in Kaena Point on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. It is a remote tracking station of the Air Force Satellite Control Network responsible for tracking satellites in orbit, many of which support the United States Department of Defense, receiving and processing data and in turn, enabling control of satellites by relaying commands from control centers.

Ka'ena Point Satellite Tracking Station
Part of Air Force Satellite Control Network
Kaena Point, Oahu, Hawaii in the United States of America
Antennae at Ka'ena Point
Shield of the Peterson-Schriever Garrison
Ka'ena Point Location in Hawaii
Coordinates	21°33′41.0″N 158°14′21.2″W
Type	Satellite tracking station
Area	153 acres (62 ha)
Site information
Owner	Department of Defense
Operator	United States Space Force
Controlled by	Space Operations Command (SPOC)
Condition	Operational
Site history
Built	1959 (1959)
In use	1959 – 2019 (US Air Force) 2019 – present (US Space Force)
Garrison information
Occupants	21st Space Operations Squadron (Detachment 3)

Entrance to the KPSTS

The station originally opened in 1959 to support the Corona (satellite) reconnaissance program.

Detachment 3, 21st Space Operations Squadron, part of Space Delta 6, operates Hawaii Tracking Station on the site. It was constructed in 1959, one of three built that year. The facility is placed near the westernmost point of the island of Oahu, atop a 1,500-foot (460 m) high ridge. The two radomes are locally known as the "golf balls", and are a popular landmark for fishing vessels in the surrounding waters.

Hawaii Tracking Station emblem. By Earl Kokobun, 1983

Yokohama Bay state park is at the base of the ridge, with a hiking trail that goes to the point and around to the northern side of the ridge, to Mokuleia Beach. The station roadways provide access to state hiking and hunting trails, as well as a camping site about 10 miles (16 km) inland called Peacock Flats by permit only. Permits to enter through the station to hike, hunt, or camp on the surrounding State lands can be obtained from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources in downtown Honolulu.