Led by Jensen and project manager Dave Jordan of Ames,
ATTREX scientists installed 11 instruments in the Global
Hawk. The instruments include remote sensors for
measuring clouds, trace gases and temperatures above and
below the aircraft, as well as instruments to measure
water vapor, cloud properties, meteorological
conditions, radiation fields and numerous trace gases
around the aircraft. Engineering test flights conducted
in 2011 ensured the aircraft and instruments operated
well at the very cold temperatures encountered at high
altitudes in the tropics, which can reach minus 115
degrees Fahrenheit.
Six science flights are planned between Jan. 16 and
March 15. The ATTREX team also is planning remote
deployments to Guam and Australia in 2014. Scientists
hope to use the acquired data to improve global model
predictions of stratospheric humidity and composition.
The ATTREX team consists of investigators from Ames and
three other NASA facilities; the Langley Research Center
in Hampton, Va., Goddard Space Flight Center in
Greenbelt, Md., and Jet Propulsion Laboratory in
Pasadena, Calif. The team also includes investigators
from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, National Center for Atmospheric
Research, academia, and private industry.
ATTREX is one of the first investigations in NASA's
new Venture-class series of low- to moderate-cost
projects. The Earth Venture missions are part of
NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder Program
managed by Langley. These small, targeted science
investigations complement NASA's larger science
research satellite missions.
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