UAF Geophysical Institute and Alaska Aerospace Corp. Collaborate to Enhance Spaceport Services
FAIRBANKS, AK – The University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Geophysical Institute and Alaska Aerospace Corp. have entered into a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop spaceport services for the rapidly growing commercial rocket and satellite industry. This strategic partnership aims to leverage Alaska’s advantageous position in the booming U.S. commercial space sector, particularly for suborbital and orbital launches.
The Geophysical Institute operates Poker Flat Research Range, located approximately 30 miles north of Fairbanks under a NASA contract, while Alaska Aerospace manages the Pacific Spaceport Complex-Alaska, situated about 45 miles south of Kodiak. This collaboration could pave the way for commercial launches at Poker Flat, with plans to make Alaska a low-cost gateway to space.
“Other launch ranges are pretty full, so customers are looking to Alaska. We have a lot of capacity,” said Geophysical Institute Director Bob McCoy. The partnership aims to increase efficiency and capacity to meet national demand for space access.
Alaska Aerospace’s President and CEO, John Oberst, emphasized the necessity of the collaboration, stating that spaceports are becoming increasingly scarce and in high demand. The initiative will also include seeking a commercial launch license for Poker Flat from the FAA.
With advancements in rocket technology, including the potential for booster stages to return to the launch pad, future missions from Poker Flat could extend to orbital launches, significantly enhancing operational capabilities.
Currently, Poker Flat primarily serves as a non-commercial launch site, focusing on NASA suborbital sounding rockets for scientific research. The collaboration between these entities seeks to alleviate launch pressures at the Kodiak site as demand intensifies, leveraging the strengths of both facilities.
As the world’s largest land-based rocket research range, Poker Flat is fully equipped to support a variety of launch operations, ensuring that Alaska remains at the forefront of the space industry.
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Photo credit www.gi.alaska.edu
