3 min read<\/p>\n
Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/images-assets.nasa.gov\/image\/AFRC2021-0139-02\/AFRC2021-0139-02~large.jpg?w=1920&h=1279&fit=clip&crop=faces%2Cfocalpoint\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA\u2019s C-20A aircraft completed more than 150 hours of international science flights from May 20 to July 24 in support of an Earth science deployment series. The aircraft, owned and operated by NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, overcame several challenges throughout the missions.<\/div>\nNASA\/Carla Thomas<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nOperating internationally over several countries this summer, NASA\u2019S C-20A aircraft completed more than 150 hours of science flights across two months in support of Earth science research and overcame several challenges throughout its missions.<\/p>\n
Based at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research in Edwards, California, the C-20A<\/a> research aircraft has been modified to support the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar and SAR-fusion camera. The instruments, built and operated by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, collect data and images of Earth\u2019s surface for use in understanding global ecosystems, natural hazards, and land surface changes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\nFrom May 20 to July 24, the team crossed the Atlantic and deployed to several locations in Africa, as well as Germany, for two campaigns. They included the Africa Synthetic Aperture Radar (AfriSAR) mission, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, and the Germany Bistatic Experiment, in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center.<\/p>\n
For the AfriSAR mission, researchers collected airborne data over African forests, savannas, and wetlands for use in studies of Earth\u2019s ecosystems. Datasets collected over Germany will be used to develop land surface height maps.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"Ten](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/c20a-sao-tome-airport-team-photo-1july24.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA team members pose in front of the C-20A aircraft while in Sao Tome, Africa, May 24, 2024. From left, Kirt Stallings, Joe Piotrowski Jr., Adam Vaccaro, Carrie Worth, Tim Miller, Otis Allen, Roger \u201cTodd\u201d Renfro, Edgar Aragon-Torres, Ryan Applegate, and Isac Mata.<\/div>\nNASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe flight team successfully achieved its missions despite several challenges, including mechanical and technical issues with the aircraft. Despite the challenges, the team resolved issues quickly and worked to minimize impacts to the science schedule and objectives.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe prepared for the unexpected and we expected to be unprepared,\u201d said Shawn Kern, NASA Armstrong\u2019s director of safety and mission assurance and a C-20A pilot. \u201cWith 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
The team included aircraft mechanics, avionics technicians, quality assurance representatives, science leads and instrument operators, operation engineers, mission managers, and pilots. They were also supported by project management, safety, logistics, weather, and maintenance personnel at NASA Armstrong.<\/p>\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/c-20a-afrisar-kirt-stallings-carrie-worth-1-9july24.jpg?w=2048\")
<\/a><\/figure>\nNASA pilots Kirt \u201cSkirt\u201d Stallings and Carrie Worth fly the C-20A aircraft over Africa on July 9, 2024.<\/div>\nNASA<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cIt was really the teamwork, improvisation, and creativity that resolved these unexpected challenges that made the mission a success.\u201d Kern added.<\/p>\n
Gathering scientific data in unique regions and conditions is necessary to understanding climate on the global scale. Data generated from these two airborne campaigns can be used to support the calibration and validation of data from future satellite-based missions like NISAR<\/a> (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar). <\/p>\n\u201cAirborne 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.\u201d said Gerald Bawden, program scientist for studies of Earth\u2019s surface and interior at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cThis deployment advanced both of these areas and was enabled by this team.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\n\n\n\n\nShare<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n\n
<\/a><\/figure>Operating internationally over several countries this summer, NASA\u2019S C-20A aircraft completed more than 150 hours of science flights across two months in support of Earth science research and overcame several challenges throughout its missions.<\/p>\n
Based at NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research in Edwards, California, the C-20A<\/a> research aircraft has been modified to support the Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar and SAR-fusion camera. The instruments, built and operated by NASA\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, collect data and images of Earth\u2019s surface for use in understanding global ecosystems, natural hazards, and land surface changes.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n From May 20 to July 24, the team crossed the Atlantic and deployed to several locations in Africa, as well as Germany, for two campaigns. They included the Africa Synthetic Aperture Radar (AfriSAR) mission, in collaboration with the European Space Agency, and the Germany Bistatic Experiment, in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center.<\/p>\n For the AfriSAR mission, researchers collected airborne data over African forests, savannas, and wetlands for use in studies of Earth\u2019s ecosystems. Datasets collected over Germany will be used to develop land surface height maps.<\/p>\n The flight team successfully achieved its missions despite several challenges, including mechanical and technical issues with the aircraft. Despite the challenges, the team resolved issues quickly and worked to minimize impacts to the science schedule and objectives.<\/p>\n \u201cWe prepared for the unexpected and we expected to be unprepared,\u201d said Shawn Kern, NASA Armstrong\u2019s director of safety and mission assurance and a C-20A pilot. \u201cWith 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The team included aircraft mechanics, avionics technicians, quality assurance representatives, science leads and instrument operators, operation engineers, mission managers, and pilots. They were also supported by project management, safety, logistics, weather, and maintenance personnel at NASA Armstrong.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was really the teamwork, improvisation, and creativity that resolved these unexpected challenges that made the mission a success.\u201d Kern added.<\/p>\n Gathering scientific data in unique regions and conditions is necessary to understanding climate on the global scale. Data generated from these two airborne campaigns can be used to support the calibration and validation of data from future satellite-based missions like NISAR<\/a> (NASA ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar). <\/p>\n \u201cAirborne 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.\u201d said Gerald Bawden, program scientist for studies of Earth\u2019s surface and interior at NASA Headquarters in Washington. \u201cThis deployment advanced both of these areas and was enabled by this team.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/a><\/figure><\/a><\/figure>Share<\/h2>\n<\/p><\/div>\n