2009 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

aircraft flew coordinated patterns with the CIRPAS
Twin Otter during the RACORO mission. In
addition, during the UC-12B’s deployment to Ponca
City, the aircraft flew in conjunction with the DOE
Cessna, NASA Glenn (GRC) Lear 25, and Twin
Otter International’s Twin Otter. At the conclusion
of the deployment, the LaRC UC-12B aircraft
conducted two flights with the GRC Lear 25 from
LaRC.
The over flights of the South Carolina wild fires
were made one day after receipt of the EPA’s request
for HSRL measurements of the smoke plumes.
The over flights were made from LaRC, with no
deployments required.
Projected missions for FY10 include: CALIPSO
validation flights across a wide range of latitudes;
ASCENDS development flights; EPA-sponsored
biomass-burning research flights; the DOE’s
Carbonaceous Aerosol and Radiative Effects
Study campaign; and the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) CalNex
campaign.
The B200 and UC-12B aircraft have been included in
four Earth Venture proposals.
Cessna
The Research Services Directorate (RSD) at LaRC
also operates a Cessna 206H Stationair general
aviation aircraft for aeronautics and atmospheric
sciences research, in addition to the two King Air
aircraft described elsewhere in this report. The
aircraft is based at NASA LaRC in Hampton,
Virginia.
The Cessna 206H incorporates the following features
and systems: GPS navigation systems; up-linked
weather information in the cockpit; researcher
work station in the rear seat; Universal Access
Transceiver; ADS-B; NASA LaRC General Aviation
Baseline Research System (GABRS); electrical power
distribution and AC conversion systems; and GPS
antenna outputs.
The aircraft is certified to 15,700 ft (supplemental
oxygen is required above 12,500 ft). With maximum
fuel at 55% power, the aircraft can carry a crew
of three (pilot, co-pilot, and researcher), a 575-lb
payload (in excess of the GABRS), and enough fuel
for a 5.7-hour flight covering 700 nautical miles.
NASA GRC Aircraft
The NASA Glenn Research Center continued
their outstanding support of the Airborne Science
Program in 2009 flying over 220 total hours in four
different aircraft.
The Learjet 25 completed ESTO missions with the
GSFC CO2 Sounder led by PI Jim Abshire and the
SIMPL (lidar) led by Dave Harding. The aircraft also
participated in the ACCLAIM coordinated operations
mission flying the CO2 Sounder along with aircraft
from LaRC, JPL, and DOE in Ponca City, OK. Additional
missions for the Learjet included Solar Cell
Calibration and Advanced Aircraft Systems sensor
development .
Figure 50:
S-3B
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