The station originally opened in 1959 to support the Corona 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.
Kaena Point Satellite 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.
On 16 June 2021, it was renamed from Kaena Point Satellite Tracking Station to Kaena Point Space Force Station.[1]
Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) documentation, filed under Ka'ena Point, Wai'anae Mountains above Keawaula Bay, Waialua, Honolulu County, HI:
