Poker Flats
Research Range
The Poker Flats Research Range, the world's only
scientific rocket launching facility owned by a university, is
located 33 miles north of Fairbanks on the Steese Highway.
Activities of Facility
The facility is operated by the University of Alaska's Geophysical Institute under contract to NASA's Wallaps
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. Since the
aurora is best studied in the dark of winter, actual launches are scheduled every two
years in winter. There were 9 scheduled for the winter of 1998.
Tour Information:
The research facility offers guided walking tours. The program begins with a slide show
and video of an actual launch, taken from inside the rocket. [Note, some wonderful shots
of the Aurora are included!] The tour follows, led by an exuberant and remarkably
well-informed University of Alaska student from the Geophysical Institute. The tour route
encompasses many of the sites shown in the slide show, including the payload assembly
building, the control room (where visitors are never welcome during launches), the science
operations center, and the "rocket graveyard".
The tour ends with a close-up look at actual launch pads (children
are even invited to climb on some of the equipment to pose for photos) . Buildings cover
the newer launch pads, so scientists can prepare in warmth. Then, just before launch, the
building is physically moved (on tracks) away, exposing the launcher for rocket lift-off.
Poker Flat welcomes children, and they can climb over the rockets in
the "rocket graveyard" and are even invited to keep any foam bits they find,
souvenirs of rockets wrapped in foam to keep the solid rocket fuel from freezing and
cracking in winter. Their web site can be found
here.
Tour Dates and Time:
Tours are offered two Thursdays a month. In 2002, they will be June 6 &
20; July 11 & 25; and Aug. 8 & 22 at 1:30 p.m.
Directions:
If you want to use your trip meter to help you find it, the
range is located about 27 miles from the intersection of the Steese Expressway and College
Road. Allow yourself at least 45 minutes to get there from Fairbanks, as some of the
curves on the Steese are treacherous.
Drive out the Steese Expressway north. In Fox, turn right at the
scales (sign is marked "Steese" and means the Old Steese Highway). From there
you will be going about 18 miles. When you get to a Y in the road with no signs to tell
you what to do, take the left hand fork. You will pass Chatanika Lodge (on your right)
about .9 miles before you see a large rocket on your right. The gates will be unlocked for
you on tour days, and the tour begins at the office.
For more information on the Poker Flat tours, call (907) 474-7942,
or (907) 474-7558.
