Welcome to Poker Flat Research Range – the largest land-based rocket research range
in the world and the only high-latitude rocket range in the United States. Poker Flat
launches scientific sounding rockets, performs satellite tracking and is home to a growing
fleet of unmanned aircraft.
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 special permission from federal, state and tribal landowners. Additionally,
the range is situated beneath the auroral 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.
The range's expansion into the burgeoning field of unmanned aircraft began in 2004.
Today, the range has more than two-dozen models that range in size from a 2.5-pound
quad-rotor Aeryon Scout to the 40-pound fixed-wing Insitu A-20. Personnel dedicated
to the unmanned aircraft efforts are deployed across Alaska to assist in projects that
are hazardous or difficult for manned aircraft to maneuver in.
General Information
Poker Flat Research Range is the world's only scientific rocket launching
facility owned by a university. Poker Flat is located approximately 30 miles
north of Fairbanks, Alaska and is operated by the University of Alaska's
Geophysical Institute under contract to
NASA's
Wallops Flight Facility, which is part
of the Goddard Space Flight Center.
In addition to launching sounding rockets, Poker Flat is home to many scientific
instruments designed to study the arctic atmosphere and ionosphere.
Contact Us
Physical Address
Poker Flat Research Range
30 Mile Steese Hwy
Fairbanks, AK 99712
Geophysical Institute
Poker Flat Research Range
Geophysical Institute
P.O. Box 757320
903 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775
Phone Numbers
Our hours are from 8am to 5pm, Monday through Friday, Alaska time.
Office: (907) 455-2110
Fax: (907) 455-2120
Staff
The following staff are located at Poker Flat and may be reached at
(907) 455-2110.
Page accessed on Mon Feb 11 16:54:08 2013, Alaska time.
Geophysical Institute
University of Alaska Fairbanks