New Memoir Illuminates Alaska's Pioneering Role in Space Science and America's Arctic History

Northern Lights and Rocket Flights: My Years at Poker Flat Research Range, a memoir by Neal Brown completed with Sue Mitchell, is now available from Springer. Discovered after his death, Brown's 1,100 stories and notes were carefully distilled into a compelling 270-page account of NASA, the aurora, and nearly two decades leading the world's only university-owned rocket range.

FAIRBANKS, Alaska, Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- When the children of Alaska rocket scientist Neal B. Brown (1938–2021) discovered nearly 1,100 stories, notes, anecdotes, and recollections on his computer after his death, they found an extraordinary firsthand history of NASA, the aurora borealis, Arctic exploration, and Poker Flat Research Range. Working closely with the Brown family, Neal's friend and collaborator Sue Mitchell shaped that extensive and sometimes highly detailed collection into Northern Lights and Rocket Flights: My Years at Poker Flat Research Range, a focused and engaging memoir of approximately 270 pages, now published by Springer.

Published at a time of renewed scientific and strategic attention to the Arctic, Northern Lights and Rocket Flights offers an unusually personal account of how Alaska became a vital center of space, atmospheric, and national security research. Brown's voice is candid, accessible, and deeply personal; the book is as much a story about the people who built one of America's most distinctive scientific facilities as it is about the rockets they launched into the heart of the aurora borealis.

"What we had were a bunch of experienced hooligans with Alaska homesteader personalities who had a hunch they could do it better and cheaper than 'those NASA guys,'" Brown wrote, a line that captures perfectly the blend of ingenuity, humor, and frontier determination that runs throughout the book.

About the Book

Neal Brown dedicated more than four decades to the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute, inspiring generations of scientists and students with his passion for discovery and education. After beginning his career with NASA in 1961, he was drawn to Fairbanks in the mid-1960s by his fascination with the aurora borealis. He went on to serve eighteen years as director of Poker Flat Research Range, overseeing hundreds of sounding rocket missions that advanced scientific understanding of the Northern Lights, the ionosphere, and near-Earth space. He later led the Alaska Space Grant Program, promoting aerospace and earth sciences education across the state.

In the years before his death, Brown assembled nearly 1,100 papers, notes, anecdotes, and recollections about the scientific milestones, Arctic expeditions, international collaborations, and unforgettable characters that defined his remarkable career. After his children discovered the material, family friend and collaborator Sue Mitchell undertook the considerable task of distilling those wide-ranging writings into a cohesive and accessible narrative. The result is both a personal memoir and a lasting historical record of an extraordinary chapter in American science.

"When we discovered our father's manuscript, we realized he had left behind an extraordinary record of his life's work," said his son Kristopher Brown. "Every launch, discovery, Arctic adventure, and unforgettable colleague was there in his own voice. Sue Mitchell knew our father, understood the science, and cared deeply about preserving that voice. Helping bring his story to readers has been one of the most meaningful things our family has ever done."

About Sue Mitchell

Sue Mitchell is an editor and science communicator who spent much of her career helping translate complex research for broad audiences. As production editor at the University of Alaska Press and later as public information lead at the UAF Geophysical Institute, she worked closely with scientists to share their work, frequently calling on Neal Brown to speak about the aurora and the science being conducted at Poker Flat. When Brown passed away, leaving the book unfinished, Mitchell was uniquely suited to bring it across the finish line, drawing on both her editorial expertise and her deep appreciation for the science and history Brown had lived.

"I am honored that the Brown family entrusted me with the challenging task of sculpting Neal's stories, notes, and anecdotes into a narrative of how a bunch of 'experienced hooligans' did things the Alaskan way and, in the process, created a world-class rocket range out of spare parts and gumption," said Sue Mitchell.

Where to Get the Book

Northern Lights and Rocket Flights is available in hardcover (ISBN 978-3-032-14597-0), softcover (ISBN 978-3-032-14600-7), and eBook (ISBN 978-3-032-14598-7) through Springer and major booksellers. In conjunction with the book's launch, the Brown family is pleased to announce the debut of www.nealbrownrockets.com, a new website dedicated to Neal Brown's life and legacy. The site features archival launch footage, historic photographs, memorial videos, and information about the Neal Brown Museum Education Support Endowment at the University of Alaska Museum of the North. Readers are invited to follow the book and Neal Brown's legacy on Instagram at @northernlightsneal.

Coming Soon

Neal Brown's life and pioneering work at Poker Flat Research Range will also be featured in the Alaska episode of acclaimed filmmaker Brad Barber's documentary series States of America, expected to premiere on public television later this year.

Publication Details
Title: Northern Lights and Rocket Flights: My Years at Poker Flat Research Range
Authors: Neal Brown with Sue Mitchell
Series: Springer Biographies
Publisher: Springer Cham, 2026
Pages: XIX, 266 | 33 b/w illustrations, 61 color illustrations
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-14598-7

Media Contact
Name: Hanna Spencer
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 (843) 259-0066
Website: www.nealbrownrockets.com | Social: @northernlightsneal

SOURCE Neal Brown with Sue Mitchell