HIPAS Observatory

HIPAS Observatory was an Alaska research facility east of Fairbanks devoted to studying the ionosphere and its effects on radio communication. Operated by the UCLA plasma physics laboratory from 1986 to 2007, it transmitted high-frequency radio waves into the upper atmosphere and analyzed the returning signals to infer ionospheric behavior. The site combined unusually powerful radio transmission with other tools, including LIDAR, an antenna array, and a liquid-mirror telescope used in laser experiments; some work also examined metal ions such as sodium. Part of Alaska’s broader upper-atmosphere research network, HIPAS closed in 2010 and its equipment was largely sold off.

Pleasant Valley, Alaska · United States