Airborne Science Program

ER-2 #709 takes off from NASA Dryden

NASA's Airborne Science Program is administered from the NASA Dryden 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".

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.

Media

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  Airborne Science Safari 2000 Mission

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  ER-2 in Sweden for the Sage III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment

See also

• Center for Earth Resources Observation and Science

External links

• "NASA Airborne Science Program". NASA. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/research/AirSci/index.html. Retrieved October 18, 2005.