Airborne Science Program

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ER-2 #709 takes off from NASA Dryden Lockheed ER-2 709 taking off from Dryden.jpg
ER-2 #709 takes off from NASA Dryden

NASA's Airborne Science Program is administered from the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California. The program supports the sub-orbital flight requirements of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. Dryden maintains and operates two ER-2 high-altitude "satellite simulator" aircraft and a DC-8 which is specially configured as a "flying laboratory".

Contents

The scientific disciplines that employ these aircraft include Earth sciences, astronomy, atmospheric chemistry, climatology, oceanography, archeology, ecology, forestry, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology, volcanology and biology. The DC-8 and ER-2 are also important tools for the development of sensors intended to fly aboard future Earth-observing satellites, and to validate and calibrate the sensors which are used onboard satellites which currently orbit the Earth.

NASA research aircraft types operated

Present

AircraftNumber in serviceIntroducedResearch Center
McDonnell Douglas DC-8 11987 Armstrong Flight Research Center
Lockheed ER-2 21981 Armstrong Flight Research Center
Gulfstream C-20A 12008 Armstrong Flight Research Center
Gulfstream III 12012 Johnson Space Center
Gulfstream III 12012 Langley Research Center
Gulfstream V 12012 Johnson Space Center
Lockheed P-3 Orion 11991 Wallops Flight Facility

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