Abstract

More Than Just a Shuttle Stop

The article presents a discussion on the possible future prospects at Easter Island, the exotic volcanic dot off Chile's coast and perhaps the world's greatest open-air archeological museum because of the grim stone heads that mark its landscape. This place has been chosen for the establishment of the U.S. military base. A lot of people are convinced that it will, despite vigorous attempts to portray the proposed agreement between Chile and the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as limited to technical cooperation on the shuttle program. NASA has told Congress it wants to use $7.6 million already appropriated for other purposes to lengthen Easter Island's airstrip by 1,387 feet, to about 11,000 feet, so that space vehicles can make emergency landings there. Chileans, however, don't believe that is all the new runway would be used for.