HAARP, Open for Business Under New Management

In August 2015 the Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) ceremonially transferred the keys to the High frequency Active Research Program (HAARP) to the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF).  The Geophysical Institute at the UAF (UAF/GI) has been working the past year to prepare HAARP to continue supporting science of active heating of the ionosphere and thermosphere.  Personnel have been hired, contracts have been let, and permit requests have been initiated with the FCC, FAA and EPA to conduct science experiments at HAARP.  Almost all of the scientific diagnostics that were removed from the site before the transfer have been returned and put back in operation.  The HAARP team, now UAF/GI employees, reinstalled the vacuum tubes, recalibrated the HF transmitters and performed maintenance on the diesel power generators to ensure their availability and functionality.  Currently, the first new campaign is planned for February 2017.   Previous experiments at HAARP demonstrated its unique capability for complex experiments in the ionosphere.  HAARP has greater power and a broader frequency range than any of the other facility of its kind in the world.  As a phased array, HAARP can produce multiple beams which can be rapidly scanned in angle for complex experiments.  Transferring ownership of a major mature scientific installation such as HAARP to a university is a new approach for facility management and holds great promise for reducing operating costs and encouraging sponsorship from multiple national and international agencies.  The power and flexibility of HAARP and its ideal location in the subarctic will help secure the future of this facility as the foremost laboratory for active experimentation in the ionosphere and upper atmosphere.