Airborne Platforms to Advance NASA Earth System Science Priorities

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and other U.S. science research agencies operate a fleet of research aircraft and other airborne platforms that offer diverse capabilities. To inform NASA's future investments in airborne platforms, this study examines whether a large aircraft that would replace the current NASA DC-8 is needed to address Earth system science questions, and the role of other airborne platforms for achieving future Earth system science research goals.


Table of Contents


Front Matter
Summary
1 Introduction
2 Setting the Stage: The Role of Airborne Platforms in Earth System
Science
3 The DC-8 Airborne Research Platform
4 The Role of Airborne Platforms in Addressing Emerging Science
5 Workforce Training and Development
6 Recommendations for the Future Need of a Large Aircraft
References
Appendix A: Committee Member Biographies
Appendix B: Statement of Task
Appendix C: Acronyms
Appendix D: 2017 Earth Science and Applications from Space Decadal
Survey Table 3.2
Appendix E: Atmospheric Chemistry Detailed Measurements