2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

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Bob Danielson Figure 71: Bob Danielson (right) talking with visitors to NASA Ames watching an ER-2 launch. 116 Bob was a Lockheed engineer, who was a critical player in the initial acquisition of the ER-2 aircraft (circa 1971) for the High Altitude Earth Science program at Ames Research Center. Under Marty Knutson and in conjunction with a strong ARC management team, he formed the initial airborne science group, which elevated remote sensing into a state-of-the-art science contributor. Under his engineering oversight, the High Altitude Branch flourished and provided grist for the mill for the medium altitude aircraft, which included the C-130, Convair 990, Lear 23/24, DC-8, BE-200 and the C-141 Kuiper Space Science aircraft (circa 1974). During this time, Bob was an indispensable cog in the safety and oversight for the engineering development of such programs. Bob was the first front seater that came down from the USAF 58th Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Kirtland AFB in September of 1968. The fleet of WB-57s they flew were used for the usual looking at other people from up high as well as atomic testing sampling. They called themselves “F Troop” after the TV show that was popular at the time. A major at the time, Bob acted as the contingent commander. NASA/JSC contracted with the USAF in 1968 to operate a WB-57F: this was the initiation of high altitude remote sensing in the agency. The 58th personnel, like Bob, flew front seat and NASA and USAF personnel flew back seat as sensor operators/navigators. JSC modified the WB-57F at General Dynamics, Fort Worth, to accept a removable NASA earth observation pallet in the space that had served as the rotating bomb bay. In 1972, the USAF left the program due to budget constraints and the aircraft was transferred to NASA and JSC. It was renumbered NASA 925 and was the first NASA high altitude aircraft with remote sensing capabilities in the inventory. Bob was a pilot during these first years and in 1972 returned to his USAF duties. Marty hired Bob when he retired from the USAF and the rest is history. I would be remiss, if I didn’t mention a personal experience with Bob. He was detailed to the DC-8 program to provide engineering oversight during a major D check in Tucson, Arizona. There were six of us going to dinner at a steak house, where suit ties were not welcome and if you tried to enter with one, you were immediately grabbed and your tie was scissored off. Bob was the only one who didn’t get the message and the inevitable happened. He took it in stride and everyone had a good laugh. He will be missed. Contributed by Geary Tiffany and Ole Smistad
APPENDIX B Airborne Program History Origins of an Airborne Earth Science Program at NASA Marty Knutson, godfather of U-2s at NASA, revealed some of his highlights of the Program during a recent interview. Today’s Airborne Science Program (ASP) continues a proud tradition supporting the study of Earth from space, begun in the Gemini years, continuing through MTPE, EOS, and forward now with the Decadal Survey Recommendations. In 1964 Olav (Ole) Smistad was head of the JSC Aircraft Office at the Johnson Space Center where Ole Leo Childs and Harold Toy acquired a Convair 240, which flew its first Earth remote sensing mission that same year. From these simple beginnings, the management structure sprouted, that would evolve into our Airborne Science Program. In an effort to capture some of the heritage and evolution of the program, ASP is collecting and archiving program related history snippets when ever possible. In this short article I have tried to share some insight into the early years of the U-2 program at NASA, highlighting the contributions of a stubborn, blunt speaking, professional aviator, who had a huge impact on Airborne Science at NASA. In 2008, Jim Weber and Andy Roberts talked to Marty Knutson in a taped interview. The thirty nine page interview transcript was rich with stories, often rambled and appeared stream of consciousness, with little direction from the interviewers. These stories 117
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NASA Science Mission Directorate Ea
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Collaborations and Partnerships FAA
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FROM THE DIRECTOR Welcome to NASA
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PROGRAM ELEMENTS and EXECUTION The
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Langley and Glenn Research Centers
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AVIRIS Science Focus: HQ Sponsor: P
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CASIE Science Focus: HQ Sponsors: P
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Decadal Survey Support Missions Sin
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epeat pass data were collected over
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SWOT Science Focus: HQ Sponsor: PI:
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Figure 13: Installation of the thre
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Figure 16: March 3, NASA P-3 Flight
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Interferometric SAR Ice Mapping in
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Figure 22: Backscatter imagery for
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southern hemisphere over Antarctica
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Western States Fire Science Focus:
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AAFEx HQ sponsor: Aeronautics Resea
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RACORO Sponsor: PI: Ambrose, Dorne
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Instrument Test Flights In FY 2009,
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TWiLiTE In September, 2009 Bruce Ge
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CO2 Laser Sounder During October 20
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AESMIR The AESMIR 2009 test flights
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Science and Requirements The Scienc
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Figure 43: Aircraft Utilization FY
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JASSIWG effort (http://airbornescie
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Aircraft Platforms Introduction The
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Figure 44: Ktech TM data receiving
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NASA’s ER-2 NASA operates two ER-
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FY09 was a busy year for NASA’s W
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NASA’s G-III NASA DFRC operates t
Page 71 and 72: payload, and enough fuel for a 4-5
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Page 113: Recognition and Awards Spring 2009
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Page 121: APPENDIX A In Memoriam Frank Caldei
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2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

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