Kangerlussuaq is a settlement in west Greenland at the head of a fjord of the same name. Kangerlussuaq is the Greenlandic word for 'Big Fjord' and is sometimes known by its Danish name of Søndre Strømfjord. Kangerlussuaq was also known as Bluie West Eight during its time as an American military base. Lysefjorden in Norway A fjord (IPA or ; sometimes written fiord) is a glacially overdeepened valley, usually narrow and steep-sided, extending below sea level and filled with salt water. ...

History

Kangerlussuaq panaroma

Permanent settlement of the site at the east end of Kangerlussuaq fjord commenced in 1941. Following the fall of Denmark to Germany in World War II, responsibility for the security of Greenland passed to the American military. Military leaders responded by building several bases in Greenland, the largest of which were Bluie West One in Narsassuaq in southern Greenland and Bluie West Eight at the Kangerlussuaq fjord. These two sites remain Greenland's best equipped airports. Kangerlussuaq became an important stopover point for cargo bound from the United States to Europe. The base returned briefly to Danish control in 1950 but, following mounting concerns about the Cold War threat, a renewed agreement saw the United States retake control of the base in 1951. It served as an early warning base and a supply station for similar early warning facilities. Following the fall of the Soviet Union the usefulness of the base was greatly diminished and the last American soldier left the base on September 30, 1992. The base subsequently came under Greenlandic Home Rule control and was renamed Kangerlussauq. Almost all of the permanent structures in the town were built during the American occupation of the site. This image (C) User:Pcb21, 2003. ... This image (C) User:Pcb21, 2003. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air. ... 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Cold War was the open yet restricted rivalry that developed after World War II between the United States and its allies (roughly speaking, NATO members) and the Soviet Union and its allied (roughly speaking, Warsaw Pact members), until the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. ... 1951 was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Kangerlussuaq today

A signpost at Kangerlussuaq airport

As the only airport in Greenland to be large enough to support jumbo jets, Kangerlussuaq is Greenland's most important transport hub. Six flights weekly arrive from Copenhagen and connect to internal flights to the capital Nuuk and Ilulissat amongst other locations. The Kangerlussuaq area is also home to Greenland's most diverse land-based wildlife (such as musk oxen, caribou and Gyrfalcons). The combination of these two factors has made Kangerlussauq a significant tourist centre for most of the year. The settlement's economy and population of 500 is now almost completely reliant on the airport and tourist industry. Access to several research camps on Greenland's ice cap, including the Danish field camp North GRIP and the American Summit Camp, is handled through Kangerlussuaq via the 109th Airlift Wing of the New York Air National Guard. Download high resolution version (531x800, 71 KB)This image (C) User:Pcb21, 2003. ... Download high resolution version (531x800, 71 KB)This image (C) User:Pcb21, 2003. ... The Boeing 747, which is also known as the jumbo jet, is the second largest passenger airliner after the Airbus A380. ... City nickname: none Location in Denmark Area  - Total  - Water 526 km² xxx km² xx% Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density 502,204 1,116,979 954/km2 [including water] xxx/km2 [land only] Time zone Eastern: UTC+1 Latitude Longitude 55°43 N 12°34 W Copenhagen (Danish: København) is... Nuuk (Danish/Norwegian: Godthåb, which translates to Good Hope in English) is the capital of the self-governing Danish territory of Greenland. ... Ilulissat (population approx. ... Binomial name Ovibos moschatus (Zimmermann, 1780) The Musk ox (Ovibos moschatus) is a bovine noted for its thick coat and for the strong odor of the male. ... Binomial name Rangifer tarandus The reindeer, known as caribou in North America, is an Arctic-dwelling deer (Rangifer tarandus). ... Binomial name Falco rusticolus Linnaeus, 1758 The Gyr Falcon (Falco rusticolus), also spelled Gyrfalcon, is a large bird of prey. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Shield of the United States Air National Guard In the US military, the Air National Guard (ANG), as part of the National Guard, is the organized militia of a particular US state and is a reserve component of the US Air Force (USAF), too. ...

Rocket launches

Since 1971 Kangerlussuaq rockets such as the Nike Apache, Petrel, Nike Tomahawk, Black Brant, Terrier Malemute, Taurus Orion, Terrier Malemute and Taurus Nike Tomahawk TNT have been launched for a site close to Kangerlussuaq (specifically, at 67° 01′ 23″ N 50° 35′ 49″ W (http://kvaleberg.com/extensions/mapsources/index.php?params=67_01_23_N_50_35_49_W_)) for examinations of the upper atmosphere.

Launch List

• http://www.astronautix.com/sites/sonfjord.htm