Poker Flat Research Range
Poker Flat Research Range is perfectly located in Interior Alaska. From this site, rockets can launch and fly over the sparsely populated tundra hundreds of miles north of the range with permits from federal, state and tribal landowners. Poker Flat is primarily a land based range which makes it ideal for payload recovery, and to situate its additional downrange observatories in Ft. Yukon, Kaktovik and Venetie.
The range is situated beneath the aurora oval – a ring across the circumpolar north where auroras typically occur – providing ample opportunities to continue scientists examination of the aurora. Most sounding rocket launches occur between January and March and scientists come from around the world to use the facility for their research projects.
In addition to its primary space physics/atmospheric sciences focus, the range hosts a variety of other long term multi disciplinary research projects, and is adjacent to and collaborates with the Caribou-Poker Creeks Research Watershed (CPCRW), a 104 km2 basin north of Fairbanks, Alaska. The watershed is reserved for ecological, hydrological and climate research.
| Institution | University of Alaska Fairbanks |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Infrastructure type | Research station |
| Disciplines | Earth sciences |
| Language of operation | English |
| Keywords | Poker Flatrocketsecologyauroral observatoryarcticalaska |
Availability
Contact information
Contact Kathe Rich ksrich@alaska.edu