Alaska Satellite Facility celebrates with open house

August 16, 2011

University Relations

The Geophysical Institute’s Alaska Satellite Facility will celebrate 20 years of operation by hosting an open house 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 20. Events will take place in both the Elvey and Akasofu Buildings. The facility's first downlink of images from an earth-observing synthetic aperture radar satellite occurred 20 years ago.

The public is invited to tour facilities used for the acquisition, storage, processing and distribution of data acquired from polar-orbiting satellites, and to learn why satellite-borne earth observation is critical for monitoring change.

Scientists from ASF will provide short talks on a variety of subjects related to the principles and use of remote-sensing technologies. Tours will include visits to one of two satellite receiving antennas used at ASF, the antenna control room operations center and the Alaska Volcano Observatory remote-sensing room.

Family activities will include:

• Build a satellite and antenna hat


• Learn how radar works


• Look at glaciers, then and now


• Create a tornado


• Face painting

Displays will include the Geophysical Institute’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, earthquake and volcano demonstrations, and a satellite-calibration corner reflector.

For more information call 474-6166 or uso@asf.alaska.edu.