Accessing NASA Airborne Science Platforms and Instruments

The Airborne Science Program maintains aircraft and sensor assets to support the Science Mission Directorate (SMD). The flight request system manages and tracks the allocation of the ASP aircraft and facility sensors. The aircraft (platform) as well as facility sensor (instrumentation) information is accessible through the Airborne Science Program website.

Requests for these assets and the scheduling of their use is accomplished through the Science Operations Flight Request System (SOFRS). This system was designed to allow researchers that are funded by NASA or other agencies to have access to unique NASA aircraft, as well as commercial aircraft with which NASA has made contracting arrangements.

The only way to schedule the use of NASA SMD platforms and instrument assets is to submit a Flight Request for approval through SOFRS.

User Fees

The assets of the program are available on a fee-for-service basis, although, because SMD maintains the basic capability, only the marginal cost of the actual missions are borne by experiments given NASA HQ science concurrence. User fees are based on the flight hour cost (e.g. pilots, in-flight engineer, fuel) and mission-specific engineering and deployment costs. Other costs may include satellite communication requirements and facility instrument data/operations costs.

Approvals

The NASA HQ science concurrence is provided by the manager of the NASA Research Program under which the grant or contract is issued. User fees are paid by the investigator's funding source’s research program or directly from the investigator's grant funds.

Missions for non-SMD investigators will be approved on a case-by-case basis. Missions that do not benefit NASA or SMD research objectives will not be sponsored by the SMD program, and must pay for the facilities under a full-cost reimbursable basis, and in addition, must demonstrate that the NASA SMD facilities provide a unique capability that is not available through commercial sources.

Any airborne science experiment using NASA assets, personnel, instruments or funds, must have a safety review to be in compliance with NASA Policy Directive 7900.4C. The submittal of a Flight Request notifies the proper NASA Center aircraft operations groups of the experiment and therefore, the need for the required reviews.

How to

Step by step instructions for submitting a flight request are below:
HOW TO SUBMIT A FLIGHT REQUEST

NASA SMD issues an annual call for Flight Requests approximately 4 months before the beginning of the fiscal year, usually in June, with submittals due Oct 1. Requests are reviewed and the facilities scheduled for the year, usually within the 1st quarter of the fiscal year. Therefore, Flight Requests submitted outside of the call letter process are filled only if time is available.

If you have any questions, please contact the SOFRS curators: Marilyn Vasques (Marilyn.Vasques@nasa.gov) and Sue Tolley (susan.l.tolley@nasa.gov).