Denise Thorsen named director-elect of ASGP

For Immediate Release

FAIRBANKS, Alaska—Electrical engineer Denise Thorsen has been selected as director-elect of the Alaska Space Grant Program. Thorsen says she plans to expand the statewide space-education program to reach more students across the state. Her vision is to promote the existing Space Grant programs, while laying a foundation for further growth. Such plans could bolster interest in aerospace-related industries that may bring economic development to Alaska.

High altitude balloon exceeds 18 vertical miles during flight

For Immediate Release

FAIRBANKS, Alaska— The BEAR is awake. The Alaska Space Grant Program’s Balloon Experiment And Research Program, or BEAR, has launched its first balloon from Poker Flat Research Range. The launch marked the culmination of more than five months of work by researchers with Space Grant and the Arctic Amateur Radio Club, which formed the program in December.

For Immediate Release

Debris from the Black Brant XII sounding rocket that malfunctioned during flight on Sunday, March 6 were recovered and transported back to Poker Flat Research Range. Remnants of the rocket, CASCADES, will now be analyzed as part of an investigation to see what caused the failure of the rocket's third stage, which dropped hundreds of miles shy of its intended location. Once the snow melts, range staff will search again to see if there is any additional debris.

For Immediate Release

For Immediate Release

Three rockets are scheduled to launch from Poker Flat Research Range this winter. The launch window officially opens at twilight, Sunday, Feb. 27, and will remain open until Tuesday, March 22. During this time, a total of three rockets will be launched. Two will gather data on Earth's mesospheric dust layer, and the third will fly through the aurora, probing the auroral curtain to learn more about its structure.

For Immediate Release

Public tours will resume at Poker Flat Research Range in August. The public is invited to tour portions of the lower-range with guides from the Geophysical Institute Information and Education Outreach Office. Tours are scheduled for Aug. 5, and Aug. 19. The tours will begin at 1:30 p.m.

The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks owns and operates Poker Flat Research Range, the only non-federal, university-owned rocket range in the world. It is located 30 miles north of Fairbanks, off the Steese Highway.

For Immediate Release

Public tours of Poker Flat Research Range are cancelled throughout the month of July. Fire crews continue to work on hot spots located on the upper-range and the surrounding area. For safety reasons, tours are suspended until further notice.

Poker Flat Research Range sustained minor damages on June 30 when the Boundary Fire swept through portions of the 5,132-acre site. A surveillance RADAR facility and two Connex storage containers were lost during the blaze.

For Immediate Release

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.

For Immediate Release

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.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

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.

O’Keefe said that he was most impressed with Poker Flat.