What's the deal with all the space launches - I see not one but three TFRs for space launches in AK at Kodiak, Poker Flats and Arctic Village. Not to mention a gaggle of TFRs at Clear AFB.

Uh…..they do rocket launches at all those places…….we’ll actually, Arctic Village used to be in the middle of the Poker Flat rocket range’s impact zone. Yes, seriously, there are at least FOUR villages within their impact area.

So, one day, I asked their Manager if they weren’t just a wee bit nervous about one of their rockets (which ranged from thirty feet long to fifty or so) dropping in on one of those villages? Her reply was essentially “tiny rocket, big impact area”. And besides, the rockets were actually aimed well north of the north slope, into the Arctic sea.

Two days later, I was headed north through Beaver Creek in sorta low weather, and fifty feet off Beaver Creek was a rather large rocket, firmly imbedded in the tundra. About twenty miles OUTSIDE the “impact area”. And a party of floaters standing there, inspecting the thing.

When I got back to town I called the Poker Flat Manager again and asked if one of her rockets had gone missing. Her reply was “Where is it?”. Those are mostly Aurora study rocket research. They put up a HUGE TFR at night when a launch is scheduled. I recall once they put one up and apparently forgot to close it. For a couple weeks, dozens of airplanes were in violation…..but nobody cared.

Here’s a link to a map of Poker Flat impact areas:

https://images.app.goo.gl/TwpQgpMr8gPeucoo7

The Kodiak launch site was intended to launch space payloads, like BIG payloads. Their impact area is the North Pacific.

Clear has all kinds of super secret stuff going on there.

Heck, there’s a launch site just west of here. No idea what they launch or why.

MTV