Page 5 - Aerotech News and Review, Feb 1, 2019 - Mission Update Edition

NASA, from 4
NASA photograph by Jim Ross An infrared telescope on the SOFIA 747SP gave astronomers a unique window on the universe — one unavailable to ground-based observatories.
the creation of industry standards, FAA rules and procedures, and city ordinances.
Earth and Space Science
DC-8 Airborne Laboratory
In April, the center’s DC-8 flying labora- tory began its fourth and final trip around the world for the Atmospheric Tomography (ATom) airborne science campaign. Scientists onboard measured airborne particles and col- lected samples from the remotest parts of the atmosphere to better understand the processes that govern how various greenhouse gases cycle around the world. The aircraft, a modified air- liner equipped with scientific instruments, de- parted California on a 26-day journey to take atmospheric samples near the North Pole, the tropics, the Southern Ocean around Antarctica, across the southern tip of South America, then north over the Atlantic Ocean and across the Arctic Ocean to Alaska, ultimately returning to California.
In October and November, a team of sci- entists aboard the DC-8 undertook the 2018 Antarctic Campaign of the ongoing Operation IceBridge. Radar and laser altimeter measure- ments from these missions documented changes in polar land and sea ice to evaluate climate models. The DC-8 also carries a high-resolution camera system. Data from these missions have helped scientists bridge the gap in polar mea- surements since the failure in 2009 of the Ice, Cloud and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat). A replacement, ICESat-2, was launched in Sep- tember. The 2018 IceBridge mission objectives included validating that the new satellite was
piloted aircraft concept called the Preliminary Research Aerodynamic Design to Lower Drag, or Prandtl-D. This design features an innovative method for determining the shape of the wing with a twist that could lead to an 11-percent re- duction in fuel consumption. The concept may also lead to significantly enhanced controlla- bility that could eliminate the need for a verti- cal tail and potentially to new aircraft designs. Several radio-controlled models of increasing size, spanning up to 25 feet, have been tested.
Students from several universities assisted Armstrong chief scientist Al Bowers with de- veloping, testing, and integrating a pressure measurement system into the Prandtl-D glider. A flight series in August demonstrated this sys- tem, providing additional evidence that a wing design method using twist can dramatically in-
crease aircraft efficiency.
Urban Air Mobility
We may not yet have flying cars but Arm- strong has a direct role in NASA’s ongoing leadership in Urban Air Mobility research to develop a safe and efficient system for passen- ger and cargo air transportation in and around urban areas. In November 2018, NASA an- nounced plans for a UAM “Grand Challenge” during a two-day industry symposium in Seattle and discussed the results of two recent UAM market studies. The UAM Industry Day marked the first step toward revolutionizing mobility within urban areas by enabling a safe, conve- nient, environmentally friendly and accessible air transport system.
Barriers to UAM operations include safety
certification of autonomous vehicle systems, community noise impacts from vehicle opera- tions, cyber security protections, safe airspace integration with traditional airline operations, and many others. These issues are closely tied to NASA’s current research portfolios. Addi- tionally, piloted aircraft and UAS will have to be fully integrated into the National Airspace System for air traffic control and be able to op- erate safely in in crowded urban areas.
Community acceptance of UAM operations poses a significant challenge as well. Although NASA will not directly contribute design input for potential UAM vehicles, the agency will provide technical leadership in areas such as the safety, operational integration, and community noise challenges. NASA and industry partners will conduct joint flight research in support of
See NASA, Page 6
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