2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

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Figure 26
Airborne Science Program budget breakdown
NASA Headquarters is responsible for
determining program direction and content
through the strategic planning and budget
formulation processes. The program office
is the interface to the Science Mission
Directorate ensuring that program activities
and investments support the broader agency
when possible. A major change in the
program this past year was to remove core
aircraft from the catalog and manage them
individually.
Implementation of the major program
elements takes place at the various research
centers.
Ames Research Center is the lead for
airborne science mission management. This
includes field campaign management and
logistics through the Earth Science Project
Office, and sensor support and development
of interface standards through the Airborne
Science and Technology Laboratory. Ames
manages the ASP flight request process, and
future mission and platform requirements
definitions. Ames also managed the
development of the SIERRA under the New
Technology and Platform Development effort.
Dryden Flight Research Center leads the
operation and maintenance of the core DC-
8 and ER-2 aircraft. They also operate and
maintain aircraft in the new technology and
platform development area, including the
Global Hawks, Ikhana and G-III. Another area
Dryden has been actively engaged in is overthe-horizon
network and communications
research and development. Dryden
oversees the cooperative agreement with
the University of North Dakota’s National
Suborbital Education and Research Center.
Dryden also manages the Dryden Aircraft
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