2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

NASA’s
G-III
NASA DFRC operates the Gulfstream III (G-III),
which became part of the ASP core fleet during
2009. The primary work of the G-III is to carry
the L-band UAV-SAR instrument, a NASA JPLdeveloped
payload for repeat-pass interferometry.
To accomplish repeat pass successfully, the aircraft
is flown with a custom-designed precision avionics
package, designed by NASA DFRC.
The UAVSAR project began at JPL in 2004, and
produced its first image in 2007 over Rosemond Dry
Lake. Engineering flights continued into FY 2009,
with the first science flight on February 18, 2009.
The UAVSAR program was highly successful in
2009, flying 440.2 hrs during the period January 22 to
October 2, 2009, on the G-III aircraft.
The G-III performed UAV-SAR missions in FY09
carrying both the original L-band SAR, and an
alternative Ka-band SAR. Each instrument was
integrated into a separate pod. The Ka-Band
SAR operations and L-Band SAR operations over
Greenland were part of an IPY program described
elsewhere.
Deployments/Missions in FY09 included:
• Greenland & Iceland (May/June)
• Cascades & Alaska (July)
• Bangor Maine (August)
• Cascades & Alaska (Sept.)
The G-III flew a total flight hours of 431.1 in FY09.
G-III UAVSAR plans for FY10 include 34 flight
requests with approximately 550 flight hours. These
include local flights and deployments to Hawaii,
Central America, Canada, and Alaska. Local science
flights from Palmdale, California include imaging of
the San Andreas and Hayward Faults, Monitoring
the Sacramento Delta Levees, and obtaining Soil
Moisture in the San Joaquin Valley. The Hawaiian
deployment will primarily involve repeat pass
imaging of the Volcanoes on the Big Island and also
baseline imaging for ground deformation/ground
movement studies of the islands of Maui, Molokai
and Oahu. The Central American deployment
will cover mapping of 3D vegetation structure,
Volcanoes, and Mayan Archeology in Guatemala,
Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and
Panama. Imaging of the Gulf Coast near New
Orleans for subsidence studies and imaging of
the Mississippi River Levees are also planned this
deployment. Upcoming deployments include a Soil
Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) mission based in
Saskatchewan, Canada and imaging US volcanoes in
the Cascades and Alaska.
JPL continues to make system upgrades to the
UAVSAR. Aircraft maintenance will include
completing the right engine overhaul. American
Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funds were
approved to fabricate a 3rd UAVSAR pod to enable
supporting both development of the Global Hawk
UAVSAR capability and continuing G-III missions.
The fabrication of the 3rd pod is expected to be
completed by July 2010
Details on the UAVSAR instrument and the G-III,
its capabilities, and points of contact can be found
at: http://uavsar.jpl.nasa.gov/ and at
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/aircraft/G-
III_UAVSAR/index.html
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