NASA C-20A Completes 150 Hours of Earth Science Flights

NASA C-20A Completes 150 Hours of Earth Science Flights
by Clarence Oxford
Los Angeles CA (SPX) Aug 09, 2024

This summer, NASA's C-20A aircraft successfully completed over 150 hours of science flights across two months, collecting critical Earth science data despite various challenges. Operating internationally, the aircraft conducted missions across several countries in support of global research efforts.

Based at NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, the C-20A has been modified to carry advanced instruments such as the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar and the SAR-fusion camera. Developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, these tools capture detailed images and data of Earth's surface, aiding in the study of ecosystems, natural hazards, and land surface changes.

From May 20 to July 24, the flight team embarked on two major campaigns, covering regions in Africa and Germany. The Africa Synthetic Aperture Radar (AfriSAR) mission, in partnership with the European Space Agency, focused on collecting airborne data over African forests, savannas, and wetlands, which are vital for studying Earth's ecosystems. In Germany, the Germany Bistatic Experiment, conducted with the German Aerospace Center, aimed to gather data to develop land surface height maps.

Throughout these missions, the team faced numerous challenges, including mechanical and technical issues with the aircraft. However, these obstacles were swiftly addressed, ensuring minimal impact on the mission's scientific objectives.

"We prepared for the unexpected and we expected to be unprepared," said Shawn Kern, NASA Armstrong's director of safety and mission assurance and a C-20A pilot. "With that mindset, we were ready to adapt and change the plans as needed, and met challenges with a lot of resilience, a lot of innovation, and a lot of improvised solutions to get things done despite some significant roadblocks."

The success of these missions was made possible by the collaborative efforts of a diverse team, including aircraft mechanics, avionics technicians, quality assurance representatives, science leads, instrument operators, operation engineers, mission managers, and pilots, all supported by project management, safety, logistics, weather, and maintenance personnel at NASA Armstrong.

"It was really the teamwork, improvisation, and creativity that resolved these unexpected challenges that made the mission a success," Kern added.

Collecting scientific data in diverse and challenging environments is essential for advancing our understanding of global climate. The data from these airborne campaigns will support the calibration and validation of future satellite missions, including NASA's upcoming NISAR (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission.

"Airborne campaigns like these are essential for enabling space-based technology. There are often measurements and science that simply cannot be achieved from satellites alone, and so they require airborne data collection," said Gerald Bawden, program scientist for studies of Earth's surface and interior at NASA Headquarters in Washington. "This deployment advanced both of these areas and was enabled by this team."