2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY<br />
The <strong>Airborne</strong> <strong>Science</strong> <strong>Program</strong><br />
had a good year in FY08.<br />
Our flight hours were up<br />
by over 60% from last<br />
year, yielding a far greater<br />
amount of data to the science community.<br />
Our program budget was leveled from its<br />
planned rapid decline. The international and<br />
interagency ARCTAS mission, <strong>NASA</strong>’s major<br />
International Polar Year contribution, was<br />
accomplished in a highly successful manner,<br />
covering a major portion of the western<br />
Arctic region from Alaska to Europe. We<br />
brought the Dryden <strong>Airborne</strong> Operations<br />
Facility on line. We obtained two Global<br />
Hawk aircraft, and in FY09, we plan to<br />
fly their first missions. We successfully<br />
completed the G-III UAVSAR development<br />
program with approval to transition to<br />
science operations. The SIERRA aircraft<br />
completed its test flight series, and is now<br />
preparing for its first international science<br />
mission in FY09. We are providing leadership<br />
to the interagency ICCAGRA organization,<br />
which is producing real results, as we<br />
standardize our payload to aircraft interfaces<br />
with other agencies, as well as establishing a<br />
true real-time satcom capability throughout<br />
our aircraft fleet, which allows us to redirect<br />
our aircraft in flight, sharing data between the<br />
ground, air, and satellites simultaneously.<br />
We have started a process for the<br />
standardization of payload interfaces between<br />
centers, which is a real paradigm shift, and<br />
which, when completed, will provide our<br />
science customer with real portability of<br />
sensors across centers and platforms. We<br />
have also extended our leadership on the<br />
global stage working with our international<br />
counterparts to coordinate our activities on<br />
climate change, allowing us to better support<br />
the science community. Next year, we will be<br />
chairing, with our European partners, the new<br />
ISPRS <strong>Airborne</strong> <strong>Science</strong> Standards Working<br />
Group. This is necessary as we operate in<br />
a global environment and fly coordinated<br />
missions with the international community.<br />
We have also jumped into a major leadership<br />
role for science uses of Unmanned Aerial<br />
Systems. Our education outreach programs<br />
are really making a difference, and we will add<br />
a student airborne campaign on the DC-8<br />
in FY09 and will continue our WETMAAP<br />
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