SARP

June 13 2016
Randy Albertson
Airborne Science Program
Deputy Director

Airborne Science Program

Mission
The NASA Airborne Science Program exists to enable
scientists to achieve NASA Earth science objectives
and answer science questions that require the use of
airborne platforms and infrastructure. The Airborne
Science Program does this by providing the Earth
Science community access to a pre-eminent suite of
airborne capabilities.
Science and platform agnostic
Right tool for the job
2

Program Objectives
Satellite Calibration and Validation
Provide platforms to enable essential calibration
measurements for the Earth observing satellites, and the
validation of data retrieval algorithms.

Support New Sensor Development

Provide sub-orbital flight opportunities to test and refine new
instrument technologies/algorithms, and reduce risk prior to
committing sensors for launch into space.

Process Studies
Obtain high-resolution temporal and spatial measurements
of complex local processes, which can be coupled to global
satellite observations for a better understanding of the
complete Earth system.

Develop the Next-Generation of Scientists and

Engineers
Foster the development of our future workforce with the
hands-on involvement of graduate students, and young
scientists/engineers in all aspects of ongoing Earth science
investigations.

What does Airborne Science do?

Facilitate access to airborne assets capable of
supporting NASAs scientific measurements
Core, Catalog, Cooperative and New technology
Help get through acquisition, process and regulatory wickets.

Provide capabilities to enhance/enable

scientific measurements
Mission/Project Management and Logistics
Science support systems
Airborne networks
Approvals for Laser and Radiation, dropsonde release, pressure
vessel safety, HAZMAT safety, EMI, foreign clearances, etc

Optimize the use of resources

Science Requirement

Measurements

Platforms

2010-2015 Airborne Campaigns

Svalbard, Norway
Thule, Greenland

Barrow, AK

Fairbanks, AK

Yellowknife

Iceland

Anchorage, AK

Saskatoon

Goose Bay

Surprise
Valley, NV

Japan

Honolulu, HI

Wallops, VA

Edwards, CA
Warner Robins, GA

Palmdale, CA
u FL
Houston, TX Key West,

Ft. Lauderdale, FL

Kona, HI

Sal Island, Cape Verde

Thailand

Guam

San Jose, Costa Rica

Singapore

Ecuador
Papeete, French Polynesia

Darwin, Australia

Argentina
Chile

Calendar Year
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015

Punta Arenas, Chile

Antarctica

NASA Airborne Science Capable Aircraft

80000
21km
(1) Global Hawk

70000

60000

(2) ER-2
(3) WB-57

Altitude (feet)

15km
(2) C-20/G-III

Lear 25

50000

DC-8
Ikhana

40000

Falcon
S-3B

30000

(4) B-200/UC12

Twin Otter

9km
P-3B
(2) C-130

20000

Sherpa
3km

Rigel

10000 UH-1 Huey

SIERRA

Dragon Eye
0

Red indicates full Core funding

10

15

Endurance (hours)

20

25

30

NASA Airborne Science Aircraft

80000

(2) ER-2
70000

(3) WB-57

(1) Global Hawk

Altitude (feet)

60000

50000

11,000

(1) Lear 25
(2) G-III

(1) Falcon
40000

11

(1) DC-8

(1) Ikhana

30000

(3) B-200/UC12
20000 (1) Twin Otter
10000

(1) S-3B

(2) C-130 (1) P-3B

(1) Sherpa
(1) SIERRA

0
0

1000

2000

3000

Range (nm)
8

4000

5000

>6000

Aircraft Access to Hurricane Forming Regions

GRIP: (Hurricane)
Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes Field Experiment

The Global Hawk adds

considerable surveillance capability
Greater range and duration than
DC-8 or ER-2
Allows for extended on-station time
in hurricane genesis regions
Geosynchronous simulator

Blue line: DC-8 range for 12-h flight, 6 h on

station
Red lines: GH range for 30-h flight with 15 and
22.5 h on station
Light blue X: Genesis locations for 1940-2006

Other Factors for Science Platforms

Speed
Payload volume and capacity
Power
Perspectives
Communications/network
Operations cost/constraints
Basing/airspace

Payload Perspectives

NASA Manned Airborne Science Aircraft

(with nadir ports & room to work for 4 + people)
80000

70000

Altitude (feet)

60000

50000

(1) DC-8
40000

(1) Falcon

30000

(1) P-3B
20000 (1) Twin Otter
10000

0
0

(1) Sherpa

1000

2000

3000

Range (nm)
12

4000

5000

>6000

ICCAGRA Science Research Aircraft

(excluding NASA)
NOAA

80000

NRL

DOE

CIRPAS

NCAR/NSF

70000

60000

Altitude (feet)

G-V
G-IV

50000

B350

40000

30000

Twin Otter

B-200
P-3

20000

10000

G-I
C206

C-130

Aero Commander

1000

2000

3000

Range (nm)

4000

5000

>6000

ASP Cross Cutting Infrastructure

NASA Airborne Science Data and Telemetry System (NASDAT) airborne network server and low bandwidth Iridium gateway which captures
navigational data as well as allows scientists to talk to their instruments

Experimenter Interface Panel

science instrument to aircraft interface

14

Airborne Networks & Mission Tools

A coordinated pass over the eye
of hurricane Karl with the NASA
Global Hawk and DC8, with a
narrow miss by the TRMM
satellite.

Screen capture of Real Time Mission

Monitor showing the NOAA 49 &
NASA Global Hawk, DC8, & WB57
making a coordinated pass over
Hurricane Karl eye. A NOAA P3
(NOAA 42) & USAF C130 were also
sampling the storm at this time.

Operation IceBridge
Snow Radar QC plot

Photo: M. Studinger

Figure: John Paden/CReSIS

MCoRDS radar quick look image

iceberg
ice surface
ice/water interface

Figure: John Paden/CReSIS

Coordinated Airborne Experiments to Measure CO2 column

densities in support of ASCENDS Mission Definition
LaRC/ITT Acclaim lidar
instrument in NASA UC-12

LaRC & ITT instr. team, LaRC aircraft

Ed Browell/LaRC, Team Leader
Instrument development via ITT, Earth
Science AITT funding

GSFC Airborne CO2 lidar

instrument in NASA Lear-25

GSFC team, NASA Glenn aircraft

Jim Abshire/GSFC, Team Leader
Instrument development via ESTO
ACT & IIP programs, GSFC IRAD

JPL Airborne CO2 lidar

instrument in Twin Otter

JPL team, Twin Otter aircraft

Gary Spiers/JPL, Team Leader
Instrument development via Coherent
Techn., ESTO ACT program, JPL IRAD

Objective: Measure & compare CO2 column densities over calibration sites with developmental lidar
candidates for the ASCENDS mission
Approach: Simultaneous CO2 measurement flights at different altitudes over well calibrated areas:
DOE SGP ARM site (Lamont, OK):
7/28 - 8/4/09
North Carolina & Eastern Shore VA
8/17/09
Collaborate with DOE/LBL & Caltech researchers for in-situ & ground-based FTS measurements

Sensor Integration

6/13/16

Major Aircraft Modifications for Science

6/13/16

Tagg

19

DC-8 Deep Convective Clouds and Chemistry Upload

http://www.nserc.und.edu/outreach/mission-videos/dc3-instrument-upload-timelapse

Disaster Response
Mosaic of MASTER flight lines
over Wallow fire June 16, 2011

Coherence image of Haitis Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault

purple indicates low coherence, which may be due to
mudslide, water runoff, or vegetation change

ER-2 flight tracks during Gulf

Oil Spill Response

Unique NASA-only Heavy Lift High Altitude Fleet (50k+ feet)

ER-2 (2)

Global Hawk
Range/Endurance Rings

Global Hawk (1)

Reconfigurable Large Flying Laboratories

-Internal Comm and Data
Networks
-Onboard satcom sensor web
networks
-Dropsonde Ejectors
-Specialized Racks for quick
payload reconfiguration
-Nadir and Zenith ports with
sensor attachment provision
-Wing hard points for sensor
mounting
-Specialized ports for probe
mounts with CFD Analysis
-Common Aircraft State data to
Sensor broadcast

UAV Synthetic Aperture Radar Aircraft

Forest inundation change is visible in HH (due to double bounce
effect) but not HV polarization channel.

Other Programs that make use of Airborne

Organizations outside of Earth Science

Planetary Science: Astromaterials & Astrobiology,
(Cosmic Dust collections, SETI (Leonids/Aurids imagery &
MSL Descent Radar tests)
Heliophysics Science: Radiation Measurements
Space Operations: (WAVE imagery of Shuttle missions,
Columbia debris field imagery, telemetry and ESA-ATV
imagery)
Aeronautics: (Alternative aviation fuel emissions study &
fiber optic wing shaping sensors)
Other government agencies: DoD, NOAA, DOE, DHS

Flight Requests
Completed:
FY06
FY07
FY08
FY09
FY10
FY11
FY12
FY13
FY14
FY15
FY16

36 FRs for 1307 hours

34 FRs for 996 hours
44 FRs for 1667 hours
70 FRs for 1877 hours
90 FRs for 2694 hours
77 FRs for 2605 hours
80 FRs for 3888 hours
78 FRs for 4392 hours
74 FRs for 4069 hours
96 FRs for 4301 hours
32 FRs for 2338 hours

(as of 6/12/16)

Note: flight hours include check-out, transit and data

How Can Airborne Data Help Inform

Policymakers Benefit Society

How policy has

protected our planet?
Using Airborne Science facilities, along with satellites, scientists collect the data that lead to
the determination
that CFCs are the main contributor to ozone hole formation
6/13/16
27
Image courtesy of Paul Newman, NASA/GSFC

Summary
ASP Objectives

Satellite Cal/Val
New Sensor and Algorithm development
Process Studies
Next Generation of Scientist and Engineers

Science Aircraft
Modified and capable

ASP Provides the infrastructure and personnel to

conduct these investigations in accordance with NASA,
national and international policies and regulations
Support National Science Objectives to provide the
policymakers with the information to benefit society

How to Access
Solicited and Unsolicited Proposals
Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)
Technology infusion
Satellite support

Science Operations Flight Request System (SOFRS):

https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/sofrs/
Details of what, where, when, how much, payload,
sponsor/funding source, etc.
Means to acquire cost estimates, mission planning
Report progress and access status

Process:

Investigators fill out flight requests for each research activity

ASP analyzes for implementation (cost, schedule resources)
HQs program scientists analyze for science merit and alignment
Many times to minimize our flight costs for data collection we are able to
incorporate multiple flight requests into one mission.

How do get access to ASP

Solicited and unsolicited proposals

Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Science (ROSES)
Satellite, new technology

Science Operations Flight Requests

https://airbornescience.nasa.gov/sofrs/
Specific requirements (what, where, when, etc)
Cost estimates, approvals, tracking

Work with aviation service provider regarding mission planning,

integration, deployment logistics, scheduling, etc.
Process:

Investigators fill out flight requests for each research activity.

ASP analyzes for implementation (cost, schedule resources)
HQs Program Scientists analyze for science merit and alignment
Many times to minimize flight costs for data collection ASP is able to
incorporate multiple flight requests into one mission.

Proposals
Relates to NASA need
Need to respond to NASA science plan
How is the global earth system changing?

What are the sources of change in the Earth system and their magnitudes and trends?

How will the Earth system change in the future?

How can Earth system science improve mitigation of and adaptation to global change?

http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2010/03/31/Science_Plan_07.pdf

Scientific merit
Adequately addresses measurement approach

Implementability
Can be done within available resources/schedule
Doesnt require Unobtainium

NRA/Cooperative Agreement Notice Proposers Guidebook

http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/procurement/nraguidebook/proposer2015.pdf