Last spring many people watched with interest as the iconic, big, blue antenna on top of the University Alaska Fairbanks Elvey building was dismantled and a new, bigger, bluer dish was assembled in its place. Another large dish in the woods on North Campus was joined by a nearly identical one in 2013. At the same time, the Alaska Satellite Facility added two new antennas along the Richardson Highway. As we prepare to build two additional larger, more capable, antennas for NASA and install many antennas for small satellites, curiosity in the community is building. Why is NASA so interested in Alaska? Why so many antennas and why here? Part of the answer can be borrowed from your friendly neighborhood real estate broker: location, location, location. But location is not enough. To hear the rest of the story, join me for a look at remote sensing in Alaska, the Arctic and beyond.