2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
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<strong>NASA</strong>’s<br />
P-3<br />
The P-3 is based at Goddard Space Flight Center’s<br />
(GSFC’s) Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). The<br />
P-3 participated in an instrument development<br />
experiment and two major missions during FY09.<br />
The instrument test experiment involved a series of<br />
local instrument development flights from Wallops<br />
for the GSFC <strong>Airborne</strong> Earth <strong>Science</strong> Microwave<br />
Imaging Radiometer (AESMIR) in January of <strong>2009</strong>.<br />
A total of 15.8 hours were flown in support of these<br />
test flights.<br />
The first major mission of the year was High Winds<br />
based out of Goose Bay, Canada in February and<br />
March <strong>2009</strong> for the purpose of Aquarius algorithm<br />
development. The principal objective was to develop<br />
algorithms capable of deriving ocean salinity in a<br />
high wind regime, for example, in the North Atlantic<br />
winter. The detailed objectives are described<br />
elsewhere in this report. All mission objectives<br />
were met with a total of 48.2 science flight hours in<br />
support of the High Winds mission.<br />
The second major mission of the year was<br />
Operation Ice Bridge (Greenland) that was<br />
conducted in late March through early May. The<br />
mission was an expansion of the annual P-3<br />
deployment to Greenland in order to “bridge”<br />
between ICESat-I and ICESat-II. The objectives<br />
were focused on ice sheet extent and thickness<br />
along with sea ice measurements and underflights<br />
of ICESat-I. This mission resulted in the most flight<br />
hours on the P-3 for any mission. Operation Ice<br />
Bridge will be an annual mission until ICESat-II<br />
is launched. There were 171.2 science hours flown<br />
supporting Operation Ice Bridge..<br />
The P-3 spent the rest of FY09 after Ice Bridge in<br />
heavy maintenance at the AeroUnion Corporation<br />
in Chico, CA. A thorough wing inspection was<br />
conducted as part of the Special Structural<br />
Inspection as a result of the aircraft reaching 19,000<br />
total flight hours. Some repairs were required as a<br />
result of the inspection. All of the required repairs<br />
were made.<br />
The P-3 flew a total of 291.5 flight hours in support<br />
of the <strong>Airborne</strong> <strong>Science</strong> <strong>Program</strong>.<br />
Figure 48:<br />
P-3 at Thule AFB for Operation Ice Bridge flights.<br />
Details on the P-3, its capabilities, and points of<br />
contact can be found at: http://wacop.wff.nasa.gov/<br />
LAAPBDesc.cfm<br />
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