The Basic Plasma Science Facility performs frontier-level research of the plasma state of matter. Usage of the facility is available to qualified scientists from national and international institutions, and industry. Research on the fundamental properties of plasmas aids our understanding of applications ranging from fusion energy to space science. The Basic Plasma Science Facility commenced in August of 2001. It is a user facility operated at the University of California, Los Angeles. The core of the facility is a modern, large plasma device (the LAPD) constructed by Walter Gekelman (the facility director) and his staff of reserch scientists and technicians. The first plasma was achieved in July, 2001 and the machine is now in operation.