As one of the most rural regions of New York, hundreds of miles outside of metro New York City, the North Country is blessed with some of the darkest skies in the entire eastern half of North America. This gives North Country residents daily access to the darkest skies around, a stargazing and observing experience the rest of the state lost access to decades ago. It should not be surprising then that the North Country is home to the Adirondack Sky Center & Observatory, a recently upgraded science center and operational observatory.
The North Country is also home to 4 universities with diverse space related program offerings. Both SUNY Potsdam and SUNY Plattsburgh host on campus planetariums, Clarkson University hosts an impressive array of student groups, and St. Lawrence University offers a small school Physics program.
Pairing this active academic infrastructure with the natural bounty of clear night skies makes the North Country a truly unique resource in the broader New York space ecosystem.
Including 34 organizations and resources throughout the North Country Region!
Business Services -- 1 resource
| Organization ▲ | Location | Type | Business Focus | Business Stage | Space Focus Level | Space Involvement | University | Social Media | AD | SD | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shipley Center for Innovation | Potsdam | Startup Incubator | General | Early Growth | Low | Clarkson University | 116 (D) | 47 (D) | New York State certified Business Incubator |
Civic Sector -- 1 resource
| Organization | Location | Status | Members | AD | SD ▲ | Partners | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adirondack Sky Center | Tupper Lake | Active | unknown | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | AstroScience Center | Expansive educational and observing resources offered amid New York's darkest skies. |
Colleges & Universities -- 25 resources
| Institution ▲ | Location | Code | Resources | Social Media | Members | AD | SD | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUNY Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Degree Program | Physics | unknown | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | ||
| SUNY Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Student Group | Physics Club | unknown | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | Affiliated with the Physics Department. | |
| SUNY Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Student Group | Galilean Society | unknown | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | Promote astronomy and space science education. | |
| SUNY Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Civic Institution | Northcountry Planetarium | unknown | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | Strong focus on engagement with secondary schools and the broader community. | |
| SUNY Plattsburgh | Plattsburgh | Degree Program | Robotics | unknown | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | One of only 19 robotics programs nationwide and the only program in the SUNY system. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Degree Program | Physics (BS) | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Wide range of areas for study available, including supernovae. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Degree Program | Physics (MS & PhD) | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Both MS & PhD programs offer a wide range of fields of specialization. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Degree Program | Institute for STEM Education | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Focused on developing the highest quality STEM educators to lead the next generation of learners. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Degree Program | Aerospace Engineering | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Program offers wide array of courses, co-ops, internships, and an impressive network of on-campus clubs. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | American Indian Science and Engineering Society | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Mission is to increase the presence of American Indians and Alaskan Natives in STEM fields. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | AIAA | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Serves as the campus chapter of the national AIAA organization. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | Design, Build, Fly | 4 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Participates in the annual AIAA competition. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | Rocketry Club | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Dedicated to the flying of high performance rockets. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | Physics Club | 2 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Dedicated to sharing the joy of physics with the Clarkson community. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Civic Institution | Reynolds Observatory | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Long exposure telescopes allow for deep sky research. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | Arnold Air Society | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Promotes aerospace power while offering Officer candidates an opportunity to serve the campus and the broader community. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | National Society of Black Engineers | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Supports its members through workshops and social events. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers | 8 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Aims to empower the Hispanic community to reach it's full potential in all STEM related fields. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Focused on networking and career growth for members. | |
| Clarkson University | Potsdam | Student Group | Society of Women Engineers | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Empowers women in STEM fields to grow as professionals and leaders | |
| St. Lawrence University | Canton | Degree Program | Physics | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Active program with multiple student enrichment programs, including a Summer Research Opportunity in Astronomical Sciences. | |
| St. Lawrence University | Canton | Student Group | Sigma Pi Sigma | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Physics honor society, originally founded in 1929, re-activated in 1995. | |
| St. Lawrence University | Canton | Student Group | Society of Physics Students | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Affiliated strongly with the Sigma Pi Sigma honor society, holds physics events open to the entire campus. | |
| SUNY Potsdam | Potsdam | Degree Program | Physics | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Innovative department with a community footprint. | |
| SUNY Potsdam | Potsdam | Civic Institution | Stowell Planetarium | unknown | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Located directly on the SUNY Potsdam campus. |
K-12 Schools -- 2 resources
| School ▲ | Locality | Facilities | Notes | AD | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticonderoga High School | Ticonderoga | Ticonderoga High School Planetarium | Expansive academic and community programming options. | 114 (R) | 45 (R) |
| Heuvelton High School | Heuvelton | The American Rocket Challenge Participant | 2020 entrant in the Great American Rocketry Challenge. | 116 (D) | 49 (R) |
NYers In Space -- 1 resource
| Astronaut ▲ | Birthplace | Missions | Time In Space | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Micheal Anderson | Plattsburgh | STS 89, 107 | 24 days, 18 hours, and 8 minutes | An accomplished Air Force pilot who 1st flew to space in 1998, he perished during the Columbia disaster in February 2003. |
Planetariums & Observatories -- 5 resources
| Organization ▲ | Location | Telescope | jobs | AD | SD | Partners | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adirondack Observatory | Tupper Lake | 12.50" | 3 | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | Adirondack Sky Center | Full science complex with activities for all ages. |
| Northcountry Planetarium | Plattsburgh | N/A | 1 | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | SUNY Plattsburgh | Strong focus on engagement with secondary schools and the broader community. |
| Reynolds Observatory | Potsdam | 12.00" | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | Clarkson University | Long exposure telescopes allow for deep sky research. |
| Stowell Planetarium | Potsdam | N/A | 1 | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | SUNY Potsdam | Located directly on the SUNY Potsdam campus. |
| SciTech Center of Northern NY | Watertown | N/A | 1 | 116 (D) | 49 (R) | (Traveling science program) | A year round, hands on museum of science and technology. |
Space Companies -- 3 resources
| Organization ▲ | Category | Specialization | Revenue | Employment | Social | Location | Comments | AD | SD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beta Technologies | Aerospace | Aerospace Manufacturing | $12 million (Global) |
7 | Plattsburgh | Developing a novel vertical electric aircraft, Vermont based with a facility outside of Plattsburgh. | 115 (D) | 45 (R) | |
| Potsdam Sensors/Telos Air | Aerospace | Aerospace Support & Development | $5 million (Local) |
11 - 20 | Potsdam | Develops air quality sensors, including for NASA. | 116 (D) | 45 (R) | |
| Raytheon Technical Services | Space & Defense | Aerospace Development & Support | $5 million to $10 million (Site Specific) |
20 - 49 | Watertown | This electrical repair facility is located on the Fort Drum military base and is part of the Raytheon aerospace & defense network. | 117 (R) | 49 (R) |