Aircraft List

The NASA Airborne Science Program aircraft list provides unique NASA aircraft and commercial aircraft that benefit the earth science community. These manned and unmanned aircraft carry the sensors that provide data to support and augment NASA spaceborne missions.
 
Reminder: All investigators with approved or pending proposals from the Research Opportunities in Space and Earth Sciences (ROSES) announcements that have a requirement for a NASA Airborne Science platform/instrument, must submit a Flight Request. The Flight Request is also the method to acquire an estimate if your proposal requires a cost estimate for Airborne Science support. However, for investigators proposing to participate on large, multi- aircraft experiments, such as the ROSES 2011: South East Asia Composition, Cloud and Climate Coupling Regional Studies (SEAC4RS), a single Flight Request will be submitted for each mission by the project scientist or project manager. The Science Operations Flight Request System (SOFRS) can be reached directly at http://airbornescience.nasa.gov/sofrs.
 
For all "Commercial" aircraft, in addition to filing a Flight Request, investigators are responsible for contacting vendors to determine if the platform meets the requirements of the proposed scientific investigation. It is the responsibility of the investigator to ensure that before any preliminary test flights or actual data collection flights utilizing NASA personnel, instruments or funds occur, all vendors successfully complete a NASA airworthiness/flight safety review in accordance with NASA Aviation Safety Policy for Non-NASA Aircraft.

HU-25C Falcon

***This is a newly acquired aircraft that is currently in development to provide support to NASA science missions late FY2012.***

The HU-25C is a modified business jet that has served as a search and rescue platform for the US Coast Guard since the 1980's. NASA is pressing them into service to provide a medium altitude, medium range platform for remote sensing instruments development and satellite support.
Payload accommodations include a nadir camera port, large side looking search window ports, side looking radar hard points, and a drop hatch.

Current Status:
ACCESS (ends 02/28/13)
Owner/Operator: 
NASA-LARC
Type: 
Fixed-wing dual jet engine
Useful Payload: 
3,000 lbs
Gross Take-off Weight: 
32,000 lbs
Max Altitude: 
42000
Air Speed: 
430 knots
Range: 
1,900 Nmi
Power: 
350 amps DC, 47 amps AC
Point(s) of Contact: 

Bruce Fisher

757-864-3862