Browse All : SAGE of Dryden Flight Research Center (DFRC)

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POLAR STRATOSPHERIC CLOUDS
Polar stratospheric clouds o …
4/5/00
Date 4/5/00
Description Polar stratospheric clouds over Kiruna, Sweden, on Jan. 27, 2000. The colorful appearance of these clouds is due to the small size of their droplets and their high altitude, approximately 21,300 meters (70,000 ft). The small droplets in the clouds result in separation of light of different colors due to refraction of sunlight. Their high altitude allows for full solar illumination for up to 20 minutes following sunset at the ground. These clouds, which have long been called "Mother of Pearl" by Scandinavians, participate in a chain of events that leads to ozone depletion by human-produced chlorine. Between November 1999 and March 2000, the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) provided scientists with measurements of ozone using a variety of satellite-, airplane-, balloon- and ground-based instruments. Scientists also obtained a comprehensive inventory of numerous other atmospheric gases and information on the physical and chemical properties of polar stratospheric clouds. The SOLVE mission was co-sponsored by the Upper Atmosphere Research Program, Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project, Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program, and Earth Observing System of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise as part of the validation program for the SAGE III instrument. Based primarily in Kiruna, Sweden, the campaign included scientists from the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan. A key aspect to the success of this mission was the permission to fly both NASA research aircraft over Russia. SOLVE was managed by the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, with extensive participation by science teams from Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, as well as a number of other government laboratories and universities. The ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft are based at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, and the U.S. balloon operations in Sweden were conducted by a team from the National Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, TX.
HIGH ALTITUDE BALLOON/ARCTIC …
A NASA high-altitude researc …
4/5/00
Date 4/5/00
Description A NASA high-altitude research balloon climbing to study the composition of the Arctic stratosphere from the Esrange Balloon Launch Facility near Kiruna, Sweden. With its helium bubble expanding to the size of a large building while in the stratosphere, the balloon carried a payload of about 450 Kg. (1000 lbs) to an altitude of about 30,500 meters (100,000 ft.). Following flight, the instrument payload lands by parachute and is recovered for subsequent flights. Between November 1999 and March 2000, the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) provided scientists with measurements of ozone using a variety of satellite-, airplane-, balloon- and ground-based instruments. Scientists also obtained a comprehensive inventory of numerous other atmospheric gases and information on the physical and chemical properties of polar stratospheric clouds. The SOLVE mission was co-sponsored by the Upper Atmosphere Research Program, Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project, Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program, and Earth Observing System of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise as part of the validation program for the SAGE III instrument. Based primarily in Kiruna, Sweden, the campaign included scientists from the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan. A key aspect to the success of this mission was the permission to fly both NASA research aircraft over Russia. SOLVE was managed by the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, with extensive participation by science teams from Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, as well as a number of other government laboratories and universities. The ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft are based at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, and the U.S. balloon operations in Sweden were conducted by a team from the National Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, TX.
OZONE INSTRUMENTS LOADED ON …
Scientists preparing their i …
4/5/00
Date 4/5/00
Description Scientists preparing their instruments for flight on the NASA ER-2 research aircraft inside the Arena Arctica hangar, Kiruna, Sweden. The plane carries dozens of instruments in two pods attached to the wings, in the Q-bay area below the cockpit and in the nose. These pieces of the plane can be detached allowing access to the instruments prior to take-off. Between November 1999 and March 2000, the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) provided scientists with measurements of ozone using a variety of satellite-, airplane-, balloon- and ground-based instruments. Scientists also obtained a comprehensive inventory of numerous other atmospheric gases and information on the physical and chemical properties of polar stratospheric clouds. The SOLVE mission was co-sponsored by the Upper Atmosphere Research Program, Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project, Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program, and Earth Observing System of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise as part of the validation program for the SAGE III instrument. Based primarily in Kiruna, Sweden, the campaign included scientists from the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan. A key aspect to the success of this mission was the permission to fly both NASA research aircraft over Russia. SOLVE was managed by the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, with extensive participation by science teams from Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, as well as a number of other government laboratories and universities. The ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft are based at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, and the U.S. balloon operations in Sweden were conducted by a team from the National Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, TX.
ER-2 USED IN ARCTIC OZONE RE …
The NASA ER-2 high-altitude …
4/5/00
Date 4/5/00
Description The NASA ER-2 high-altitude research plane on the runway of Kiruna, Sweden. The airplane -- a civilian variant of the U-2 reconnaissance plane capable of reaching altitudes as high as 21,330 meters (70,000 feet) -- carried into the stratosphere dozens of scientific instruments that measure the composition of Earth's ozone layer. The only person on board is the pilot, who must wear a pressurized spacesuit to guard against the dangers of high-altitude flight. Between November 1999 and March 2000, the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) provided scientists with measurements of ozone using a variety of satellite-, airplane-, balloon- and ground-based instruments. Scientists also obtained a comprehensive inventory of numerous other atmospheric gases and information on the physical and chemical properties of polar stratospheric clouds. The SOLVE mission was co-sponsored by the Upper Atmosphere Research Program, Atmospheric Effects of Aviation Project, Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program, and Earth Observing System of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise as part of the validation program for the SAGE III instrument. Based primarily in Kiruna, Sweden, the campaign included scientists from the United States, Europe, Canada, Russia and Japan. A key aspect to the success of this mission was the permission to fly both NASA research aircraft over Russia. SOLVE was managed by the Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA, with extensive participation by science teams from Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, Langley Research Center, Hampton, VA, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, CA, as well as a number of other government laboratories and universities. The ER-2 and DC-8 aircraft are based at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, and the U.S. balloon operations in Sweden were conducted by a team from the National Scientific Balloon Facility, Palestine, TX.
DC-8 takeoff during the SAGE …
DC-8 during takeoff in Kirun …
Photo Description NASA's DC-8 taking off from the Kiruna, Sweden, runway in January 2000. The weather at this town of 25,000, located north of the Arctic Circle, can be severe. Temperatures drop as low as 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. In December 1999, when the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) deployment began, there were 20 days of darkness. By mid-January 2000, there was 5 hours of daylight, while in mid-February this increased to nine hours per day. The population of Kiruna extended its hospitality to the SOLVE personnel. On January 22, 2000, the town hosted a dinner for the participants and media attending an open house at the Arena Arctica hangar. At the end of the SOLVE deployment, the airborne science team held an open house for the townspeople at the facility.
Project Description NASA is using a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collects data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community are NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing have been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology.
Photo Date January 2000
DC-8 being pushed out of the …
Title DC-8 being pushed out of the Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden for the second flight of the SAG
Description This photo shows NASA's DC-8 being pushed out of the Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden for the second flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). One of Dryden's high-flying ER-2 Airborne Science aircraft, a civilian variant of Lockheed's U-2, and another NASA flying laboratory, Dryden's DC-8, were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of SOLVE. A large hangar built especially for research, "Arena Arctica" housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew science collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. "The collaborative campaign will provide an immense new body of information about the Arctic stratosphere," said program scientist Dr. Michael Kurylo, NASA Headquarters. "Our understanding of the Earth's ozone will be greatly enhanced by this research." NASA is using a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collects data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community are NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing have been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology.
Date 01.01.2000
DC-8 during takeoff in Kirun …
Title DC-8 during takeoff in Kiruna, Sweden for the second flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validatio
Description NASA's DC-8 taking off from the Kiruna, Sweden, runway in January 2000. The weather at this town of 25,000, located north of the Arctic Circle, can be severe. Temperatures drop as low as 50 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. In December 1999, when the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) deployment began, there were 20 days of darkness. By mid-January 2000, there was 5 hours of daylight, while in mid-February this increased to nine hours per day. The population of Kiruna extended its hospitality to the SOLVE personnel. On January 22, 2000, the town hosted a dinner for the participants and media attending an open house at the Arena Arctica hangar. At the end of the SOLVE deployment, the airborne science team held an open house for the townspeople at the facility. NASA is using a DC-8 aircraft as a flying science laboratory. The platform aircraft, based at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif., collects data for many experiments in support of scientific projects serving the world scientific community. Included in this community are NASA, federal, state, academic and foreign investigators. Data gathered by the DC-8 at flight altitude and by remote sensing have been used for scientific studies in archeology, ecology, geography, hydrology, meteorology, oceanography, volcanology, atmospheric chemistry, soil science and biology.
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 and DC-8 in Arena …
Title ER-2 #809 and DC-8 in Arena Arctica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Va
Description NASA ER-2 # 809 and its DC-8 shown in Arena Arctica before the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). The two airborne science platforms were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden, during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of SOLVE. A large hangar built especially for research, "Arena Arctica" housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists have observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew sample collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. "The collaborative campaign will provide an immense new body of information about the Arctic stratosphere," said program scientist Dr. Michael Kurylo, NASA Headquarters. "Our understanding of the Earth's ozone will be greatly enhanced by this research." ER-2s bearing tail numbers 806 and 809 are used as airborne science platforms by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, an ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 awaits pilot entry …
Title ER-2 #809 awaits pilot entry for the third flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experime
Description ER-2 #809 awaiting pilot entry for the third flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). The ER-2, a civilian variant of Lockheed's U-2, and another NASA flying laboratory, Dryden's DC-8, were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of SOLVE. A large hangar built especially for research, "Arena Arctica" housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists have observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew sample collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. "The collaborative campaign will provide an immense new body of information about the Arctic stratosphere," said program scientist Dr. Michael Kurylo, NASA Headquarters. "Our understanding of the Earth's ozone will be greatly enhanced by this research." ER-2s bearing tail numbers 806 and 809 are used as airborne science platforms by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, an ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 during fueling for …
Title ER-2 #809 during fueling for first flight in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Val
Description ER-2 #809 during fueling for first flight in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Val
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 in flight on the t …
Title ER-2 #809 in flight on the third mission of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE
Description ER-2 #809 in flight on the third mission of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 in Kiruna, Sweden …
Title ER-2 #809 in Kiruna, Sweden for the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) with pilot
Description ER-2 #809 in Kiruna, Sweden for the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) with pilot
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 landing in Kiruna, …
Title ER-2 #809 landing in Kiruna, Sweden after second flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Ex
Description ER-2 #809 landing in Kiruna, Sweden after second flight of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Ex
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 on the SAGE III Oz …
Title ER-2 #809 on the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) with pilot Dee Porter entry f
Description ER-2 #809 on the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) with pilot Dee Porter entry f
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 on the SAGE III Oz …
Title ER-2 #809 on the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE) with pilot Dee Porter prepari
Description Lockheed Martin pilot Dee Porter climbs up the ladder wearing a heavy tan pressure suit, preparing to board NASA ER-2 #809 at Kiruna, Sweden, for the third flight in the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment. Assisting him is Jim Sokolik, a Lockheed Martin life support technician. Number 809, one of Dryden's two high-flying ER-2 Airborne Science aircraft, a civilian variant of Lockheed's U-2, and another NASA flying laboratory, Dryden's DC-8, were based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). A large hangar built especially for research, "Arena Arctica" housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists have observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during recent winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew sample collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. "The collaborative campaign will provide an immense new body of information about the Arctic stratosphere," said program scientist Dr. Michael Kurylo, NASA Headquarters. "Our understanding of the Earth's ozone will be greatly enhanced by this research." ER-2s bearing tail numbers 806 and 809 are used as airborne science platforms by NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown over various parts of the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s are capable of carrying a maximum payload of 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles. The aircraft typically fly at altitudes above 65,000 feet. On November 19, 1998, an ER-2 set a world record for medium weight aircraft reaching an altitude of 68,700 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2.
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 outside Arena Arti …
Title ER-2 #809 outside Arena Artica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validat
Description ER-2 #809 outside Arena Artica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validat
Date 01.01.2000
ER-2 #809 receives preflight …
Title ER-2 #809 receives preflight fueling outside Arena Artica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE
Description ER-2 #809 receives preflight fueling outside Arena Artica hangar in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE
Date 01.01.2000
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