Figure 45: Students return from another successful DC-8 SARP mission to Palmdale, CA Figure 46: University of Kansas MCoRDS antenna system is integrated to the DC-8 in preparation for Antarctic Operation ICE Bridge mission. 58
<strong>NASA</strong>’s ER-2 <strong>NASA</strong> operates two ER-2 (806 and 809) aircraft as readily deployable high altitude sensor platforms to collect remote sensing and in situ data on earth resources, atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, and oceanic processes. The aircraft also are used for electronic sensor research, development and demonstrations, satellite calibration and satellite data validation. Operating at 70,000 feet (21.3 km), the ER-2 acquires data above ninety-five percent of the earth’s atmosphere. The aircraft also yields an effective horizon of 300 miles (480 km) or greater at altitudes of 70,000 feet. In November 2008, ER-2 806 was taken out of service temporarily to conduct a required 200 hour phase inspection. In February, the ER-2 team integrated the Tropospheric Wind Lidar Experiment, TWiLiTE, sensor and flew its first flight on February 19, <strong>2009</strong>. Unfortunately, the sensor encountered some in-flight failures and had to be returned to home base for trouble shooting and repair. The sensor flew again in September. In March, the ER-2 team conducted four <strong>Airborne</strong> Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) flights over the Santa Monica Mountains and two Autonomous Modular Systems (AMS) sensor flights utilizing both aircraft 806 and 809, showing team flexibility on accomplishing flight requirements. In April, the ER-2 team continued to fly the AVIRIS sensor on A/C 809 over required experiment sites. Team also uploaded the Large Area Collectors (LAC) and began flying sensor towards end of April and into May. A new Sandia National Laboratories High Altitude Telemetry Sensor (HATS) sensor was successfully integrated into A/C 809 and flown over Albuquerque, New Mexico. In May, ER-2 team completed flying the LAC and the HATS sensor and began to prepare for the upcoming deployment campaign at Dayton Ohio. In mid June, the ER-2 809 deployed to Wright- Patterson AFB (WPAFB), in Dayton, OH, in support of the WPAFB-AVIRIS campaign. <strong>Science</strong> flights were also conducted over sites in Canada (Alberta, Ontario and North of Hudson bay), New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, W. Virginia, Minnesota, Montana and South Dakota. The AVIRIS flights were conducted to gather data and characterize forest functional types by canopy-based measurement of three key 59