NASA's Airborne Science Program is administered from the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California. The program supports the sub-orbital flight requirements of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. Dryden maintains and operates two ER-2 high-altitude "satellite simulator" aircraft and a DC-8 which is specially configured as a "flying laboratory".
The scientific disciplines that employ these aircraft include Earth sciences, astronomy, atmospheric chemistry, climatology, oceanography, archeology, ecology, forestry, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology, volcanology and biology. The DC-8 and ER-2 are also important tools for the development of sensors intended to fly aboard future Earth-observing satellites, and to validate and calibrate the sensors which are used onboard satellites which currently orbit the Earth.
NASA research aircraft types operated
Present
| Aircraft | Number in service | Introduced | Research Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas DC-8 | 1 | 1987 | Armstrong Flight Research Center |
| Lockheed ER-2 | 2 | 1981 | Armstrong Flight Research Center |
| Gulfstream C-20A | 1 | 2008 | Armstrong Flight Research Center |
| Gulfstream III | 1 | 2012 | Johnson Space Center |
| Gulfstream III | 1 | 2012 | Langley Research Center |
| Gulfstream V | 1 | 2012 | Johnson Space Center |
| Lockheed P-3 Orion | 1 | 1991 | Wallops Flight Facility |
Media
- Airborne Science Safari 2000 Mission
- ER-2 in Sweden for the Sage III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment
See also
References
External links
- "NASA Airborne Science Program". NASA. Archived from the original on 29 September 2005. Retrieved October 18, 2005.