Space Physics
Staff from Poker Flat Research Range helped secure crucial imagery of wildfires raging through Alaska, including those in their own backyard.
Altair, an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) equipped with extensive imaging capabilities, provided real-time information on fire locations, fire movement, and previously unidentified hot spots on a mission flown July 9. Poker Flat Research Range staff initiated this effort and provided airspace planning and mission support for the flight. 
A surveillance RADAR facility and two Connex storage containers at Poker Flat Research Range were lost to the Boundary Fire on June 30, 2004. The surveillance RADAR facility was used to detect small aircraft in the range's flight zone before launching sounding rockets. A replacement value for it, and the two storage containers, has not yet been determined.
The top honor at the National Radio Science Meeting’s 2004 Student Prize Paper Competition was awarded to Fernanda São Sabbas, a former graduate student working with Professor Davis Sentman at the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF). The announcement was made last week in Boulder, Colorado.
The second largest geomagnetic storm on record has allowed people in mid-latitudes to see the aurora borealis and could possibly make for outstanding aurora viewing over Alaska through Saturday, November 22.
Another powerful solar flare has reached Earth on the heels of an enormous flare, giving Alaskans a great chance for aurora viewing in the next few nights. The most recent solar flare exploded from the surface of the sun at about 11:40 a.m. Alaska time, October 29, and researchers at the UAF Geophysical Institute say it arrived at Earth at about noon Alaska time, October 30.
A powerful solar flare that resulted in active aurora displays Tuesday night and Wednesday morning may also trigger outstanding displays on Wednesday evening. “If the skies clear up tonight, it’s going to be a whopping good aurora,” said Charles Deehr, a professor emeritus and aurora forecaster at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute.
NASA Administrator Honorable Sean O’Keefe made a special trip to Poker Flat Research Range Thursday to visit the NASA supported facility.
O’Keefe reports directly to the President of the United States as the leader of the NASA team and manager of the agency’s resources. NASA General Counsel Paul Pastorek accompanied O’Keefe and the two were given an extensive tour of the facility by Range Manager Greg Walker, and Associate Director Hans Nielsen.
Poker Flat Research Range retrieved remnants from a rocket Saturday that had been launched March 27 as part of a four-rocket experiment to study winds in the upper atmosphere. The retrieved rocket did not thrust properly during its flight, causing it to fall short of its predicted altitude and land in a different part of the designated impact area than expected. It was found 5.8 miles north of the range in the special land use designated area for rocket booster impact. NASA is interested in studying the rocket’s remains to better understand the cause of the thrust failure.
A series of four rockets were launched in rapid succession from Poker Flat Research Range at 3:09, 3:10, 3:12 and 3:13 a.m. Thursday as part of a mission to help scientists view wind associated with an aurora from cameras on the ground.
Two rockets were successfully launched from Poker Flat Research Range at 12:50 and 1:09 a.m. Tuesday as part of a UAF Geophysical Institute-lead experiment to study winds in the upper atmosphere related to the aurora.
