Dryden Flight Research CenterNational Aeronautics and Space Administration, Headquarters October 24, 2003 TO: Distribution FROM: YS/Suborbital Science Program Man SUBJECT: FY 2004 Suborbital Science Program - Supplemental Planning This is a supplemental "call letter" for additional Earth science data acquisitions using two experimental platforms that have become available to NASA/ESE since our annual Suborbital Science Program planning letter was distributed in April. This call solicits Flight Requests for the low-altitude, long-endurance Aerosonde Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and the high-altitude Proteus. Aerosonde UAVThe Aerosonde UAV is a globally operated, long endurance and fully autonomous platform using GPS for navigation. The 30 pound, 9.6 foot wingspan aircraft has a standard instrument suite that measures temperature, barometric pressure, humidity and windspeed. Additional payloads up to 5 pounds can be integrated into the Aerosonde. Power available to additional payloads is 15 Watts at 18 VDC. The Aerosonde offers users long observational times of up to 30 hours using the standard instrument suite and up to 10 hours when carrying the maximum additional payload of 5 pounds. The Aerosonde can travel approximately 2000 miles with the standard instrument suite and can communicate through the Iridium satellite system, which enables users to monitor data at their desktops using the Aerosonde Virtual Field Environment software. The user can also request in-flight course changes during missions. The Aerosonde has supported missions for NASA [CAMEX-4 (2001), JPL electrochemical sulphur dioxide sensor integration test flights (2003)], National Science Foundation [Barrow, Alaska 2000-2003] and other international science agencies and commercial enterprises. Additional information about the Aerosonde and specific details from past missions flown can be found at the Aerosonde website www.aerosonde.com. Wallops Flight Facility has entered into a three-year cooperative agreement with Aerosonde North America for use of the Aerosonde UAV that provides NASA with approximately 450 flight hours over the course of the agreement. The User Fee is $785 per flight hour. Mission Peculiar Costs, to include actual travel and shipping to deployment sites other than Wallops, overtime, and engineering installation costs, are additional. Estimates of mission peculiar costs for the Aerosonde UAV can be obtained by contacting Charles P. Williams/GSFC/WFF at (757) 824-1435 or Charles.P.Williams@nasa.gov. Proteus AircraftThe Proteus aircraft can support science experiments at altitudes up to 63,000 feet and can fly for 16 hours with nominal payload at flight conditions. Total payload capacity is 7260 lbs; however, the trade-off between payload and endurance or range must be considered. Electrical power of 19 kilowatts is available for the payload. The Proteus features modular construction that allows payloads to be carried in a variety of locations. Removable tip sections can be added or removed from the rear wing or forward canards to tailor the Proteus aerodynamics for various external payloads or for maximum altitude. Proteus is normally operated with a two-person crew but can simulate UAV operations (with remote piloting) during up and away flight. Proteus has been supporting the international atmospheric science community since 2000, contributing to six different science campaigns spanning the United States and the Pacific Rim, from Japan to Virginia and the Caribbean to the North Pole. Proteus has supported NASA [Trace-P (2001), ERAST Program, Crystal FACE campaign (2002)] and the United States Air Force in flight tests of next-generation flight systems [Detect, See, and Avoid (2002/2003)]. New in FY04, DFRC is providing the "Double-Q Bay" instrument carrier. This unpressurized pod provides the volume and payload weight capacity of two ER-2 Q-Bay's arranged in a fore and aft configuration. The structural and electrical interfaces for the Double Q-Bay are also identical to the ER-2 configuration. Additional information about the Proteus can be obtained from /centers/dryden/research/Erast/proteus.html. Dryden Flight Research Center is making the Proteus aircraft available on an as-needed basis. The User Fee is $3250 per flight hour. Mission Peculiar Costs, to include actual travel and shipping to deployment sites, overtime, and engineering installation costs, are additional. Estimates of mission peculiar costs for the Proteus can be obtained by contacting Bob Curry/DFRC at (661) 276-3715 or Robert.E.Curry@nasa.gov. Submitting a Flight RequestTo submit a flight request, please go to the Airborne Science Web Page (URL /centers/dfrc/Research/AirSci/nforms.html), follow the instructions, and submit the completed form to the DFRC Airborne Science Program Coordinator Office (Code Y). To select the Aerosonde UAV on the Flight Request Form, check 'Other' under Aircraft Required and type in "Aerosonde UAV" in the specification box. To select the Proteus on the Flight Request Form, check 'Other' under Aircraft Required and type in "Proteus" in the specification box. If you experience problems with the form, have questions about submitting the Flight Request, please contract Michael Craig at (650) 604-6586 or Michael.S.Craig@nasa.gov. Questions regarding the Suborbital Science Program can be addressed to the undersigned at (202) 358-0758 or Cheryl.L.Yuhas@nasa.gov. Completed flight requests are due COB December 1, 2003. Thank you for your cooperation. If the Aerosonde UAV and Proteus deployments satisfy the community's requirements, we anticipate continuing to provide access to them as an ongoing element of the NASA Suborbital Science Program. Sincerely, Cheryl Yuhas Distribution: |