Hawaii wants in on race to the heavens

The federal government has provided seed money for what could be one small step toward creating a port for shooting commercial spacecraft into the edge of space from Hawaii.

The Federal Aviation Administration is providing $250,000 in matching funds to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism’s Office of Aerospace Development. They will pay for environmental and feasibility studies in preparation for the state to apply for a federal commercial license.

Flamboyant Briton Sir Richard Branson already has plans to launch the first Virgin Galactic commercial flight by the end of next year from a New Mexico spaceport that opened last October. The cost of a ticket: $200,000. We presume there’s no fee for checking a bag.

Kona Ironman loses some magnetism

Lance Armstrong was expected to participate in October’s Hawaii Ironman triathlon championship in Kona until he decided in August not to contest charges that he had imbibed in doping as a professional cyclist.

The admission has resulted in Armstrong being banned from Olympic-sanctioned competitions, including the Kona race. His plan to compete had triggered the booking of hotel rooms at Kona as early as March.

When Armstrong’s ban went into effect, triathlon pioneer Bob Babbitt told The Wall Street Journal, "A friend of mine who had been No. 80 on the waiting list for a hotel room in Kona suddenly got a call that a room was available. That means 79 people lost interest once Lance was scratched."