Sealaska Builds Launch Pads for Data Gathering Balloons in Remote Alaska
Friday, December 7, 2018
All around the world at precisely the same time, weather balloons are released and rise to the top of the earth’s atmosphere. Sensors attached to the 5-feet wide balloons take snapshots of the weather every few seconds – temperature, humidity, pressure, and wind speed – as they rise up to 100,000 feet and drift as far as 125 miles depending on wind speeds.

Sealaska Construction Solutions (SCS) is helping the National Weather Service (NWS) automate this process in remote places in Alaska to make more efficient use of its limited workforce. Specializing in remote construction, SCS works with engineers and local subcontractors to design and build the platforms housing specialized equipment from which the balloons launch.

Last year, SCS built four sites in Alaska with a $2.4 million contract, including in Yakutat and Annette Island. Recently, SCS was awarded a new contract to build seven more sites for $4.4 million. Anchorage, Bethel, Cold Bay, King Salmon, Kotzebue, McGrath, and Nome will all be prepared for NWS to efficiently gather weather-forecasting data with their new balloon launch systems.
Check out this short video of a completed automated weather balloon launch site!
Sealaska Construction Solutions is part of Sealaska’s government services group, providing building solution leadership in an open culture between clients, subcontractors and the end-user.
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We are continuing our search for a dynamic and visionary leader to serve as Sealaska’s president. It is important that we find the right candidate to fill this position, which is why the Sealaska board of directors is being as exacting as possible as we search for a candidate capable of amplifying the impact of our mission and providing benefits that empower our shareholders. To this end, the Sealaska board of directors recently revised the job description for the position of president and sought the assistance of a professional recruiting firm. Our hope is to announce a successful candidate as our new president this coming summer.