2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

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