located_in_the_administrative_territorial_entity 3.67 m advanced electro optical system telescope
The Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) is a scientific research organization operated by the United States Air Force Materiel Command dedicated to leading the discovery , development , and integration ___MASK77___ affordable aerospace warfighting technologies , planning and executing the Air Force science and technology program , and provide warfighting capabilities to United States air , space , and cyberspace forces . It controls the entire Air Force science and technology research budget which was $ 2 . 4 billion in 2006 . The island ___MASK77___ Maui ( Hawaiian : ) is the second - largest ___MASK77___ the Hawaiian Islands at 727 . 2 square miles ( 1 , 883 km ) and is the 17th - largest island in the United States . Maui is part ___MASK77___ the State ___MASK77___ ___MASK95___ and is the largest ___MASK77___ Maui County ' s four islands , bigger than Molokai , Lnai , and unpopulated Kahoolawe . In 2010 , Maui had a population ___MASK77___ 144 , 444 , third - highest ___MASK77___ the Hawaiian Islands , behind that ___MASK77___ Oahu and ___MASK95___ Island . Kahului is the largest census - designated place ( CDP ) on the island with a population ___MASK77___ 26 , 337 and is the commercial and financial hub ___MASK77___ the island . Wailuku is the seat ___MASK77___ Maui County and is the third - largest CDP . Other significant places include Khei ( including Wailea and Makena in the Kihei Town CDP , which is the second - most - populated CDP in Maui ), Lahaina ( including Kanapali and Kapalua in the Lahaina Town CDP ), Makawao , Pia , Kula , Haik , and Hna . Astronomical seeing refers to the blurring and twinkling ___MASK77___ astronomical objects such as stars caused by turbulent mixing in the Earth ' s atmosphere that causes variations ___MASK77___ the optical refractive index . The " astronomical seeing " conditions on a given night at a given location describe how much the Earth ' s atmosphere perturbs the images ___MASK77___ stars as seen through a telescope . The Institute for Astronomy ( IfA ) is a research unit within the ___MASK2___ ___MASK77___ ___MASK95___ system , led by Günther Hasinger as Director . IfA main headquarters are located at 2680 Woodlawn Drive in Honolulu , ___MASK95___ , , on the ___MASK2___ ___MASK77___ ___MASK95___ at Mnoa campus . Additional facilities are located at Pukalani , Maui and Hilo on ___MASK95___ island ( the Big Island ). IfA employs over 150 astronomers and support staff . IfA astronomers perform research into solar system objects , stars , galaxies and cosmology . The Haleakal ___MASK22___ on the island ___MASK77___ Maui , also known as the Haleakal High Altitude ___MASK22___ Site , is the location ___MASK77___ ___MASK95___ ' s first astronomical research observatory . It is owned by the Institute for Astronomy ___MASK77___ the University ___MASK77___ Hawai ' i , which operates some ___MASK77___ the facilities on the site and leases portions to other organizations . Tenants include the Air Force Research Laboratory ( AFRL ) and the Las Cumbres ___MASK22___ Global Telescope Network ( LCOGTN ). At over in altitude , the summit ___MASK77___ Haleakal is above one third ___MASK77___ the Earth ' s atmosphere and has excellent astronomical seeing conditions . The 3 . 67 m Advanced Electro Optical System Telescope is a Department ___MASK77___ Defense telescope at Haleakala Observatory . The telescope is part ___MASK77___ the Maui Space Surveillance Complex ( MSSC ) , which in turn is part ___MASK77___ the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site ( AMOS ) . The 3 . 67 - meter telescope , known as the Advanced Electro - Optical System ( AEOS ) , owned by the Department ___MASK77___ Defense , is the United States ' largest optical telescope designed for tracking satellites . The 75 - ton AEOS telescope points and tracks very accurately , yet is fast enough to track both low - Earth satellites and ballistic missiles . It can slew at nearly 20 degrees per second . It is an f / 200 and has an extremely narrow field ___MASK77___ view . AEOS can be used simultaneously by many groups or institutions because its light can be channeled through a series ___MASK77___ mirrors to seven independent coudé rooms below the telescope . Employing sophisticated sensors that include an adaptive optics system , radiometer , spectrograph , and long - wave infrared imager , the telescope tracks man - made objects in deep space and performs space object identification data collection . AEOS is equipped with an adaptive optics system , the heart ___MASK77___ which is a 941 - actuator deformable mirror that can change its shape to remove the atmosphere ' s distorting effects . Scientists are expected to get near diffraction - limited images ___MASK77___ space objects . Haleakal ( Hawaiian : ), or the ___MASK13___ Maui Volcano , is a massive shield volcano that forms more than 75 % ___MASK77___ the Hawaiian Island ___MASK77___ Maui . The western 25 % ___MASK77___ the island is formed by another volcano , Mauna Kahalawai , also referred to as the West Maui Mountains . ___MASK95___ is the 50th and most recent state to have joined the United States of America , having received statehood on August 21 , 1959 . ___MASK95___ is the only U . S . state located in Oceania and the only one composed entirely of islands . It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia , occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean . ___MASK95___ is the only U . S . state not located in the Americas .