Two Hawai'i projects for the Pacific International Space Center for Exploration System received NASA grants totaling $640,000 to conduct lunar simulations on the Big Island.

The two grants were announced yesterday at the PISCES inaugural conference in Hilo. Lt. Gov. James "Duke" Aiona Jr. delivered the keynote address at the event.

The state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism is developing PISCES along with the Japan-U.S. Science, Technology & Space Applications Program and the University of Hawai'i-Hilo. PISCES was launched with $400,000 in state funding released earlier this year.

The volcanic soils and lunar-like terrain in Hawai'i make the islands an ideal location to support international programs for testing and evaluating innovative technologies to support future robotic and manned exploration of the moon and Mars, as well as for training scientists, engineers and astronauts for future space missions, officials said.

"These federal grants will support our administration's Hawai'i Innovation Initiative and our efforts to develop opportunities in aerospace-related fields that capitalize on Hawai'i's science and technology resources and capabilities," said DBEDT Director Ted Liu.

PISCES will coordinate and manage the NASA lunar field demonstrations on the Big Island, he said.

"The most productive pathway to future robotic and human missions to the moon and Mars is best forged through multinational partnerships in government, industry and education," Aiona said. In March, the state signed a memorandum with NASA on a variety of programs in support of NASA's plan to return humans to the moon and later travel to Mars.