NASA and DLR Invite Media Behind the Scenes of Jet Fuel and Contrail Study

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Jan 08, 2018, 07:40 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- NASA and German Aerospace Agency (DLR) will host a media day on Jan. 24 to spotlight a partnership mission called the Multidisciplinary Airborne Experiment (ND-MAX) and Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuel (ECLIF) experiments.

The Airbus A320-232 "D-ATRA", the latest - and largest - addition to the fleet, was deployed by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) in late 2008. ATRA (Advanced Technology Research Aircraft) is a modern and flexible flight test platform which sets a new benchmark for flying test beds in European aerospace research.

NASA operates a highly modified Douglas DC-8 jetliner as a flying science laboratory. The aircraft, based at the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center facility in Palmdale, California, is used to collect data for experiments in support of projects serving the world's scientific community. Federal, state, academic and foreign investigators are among those who use NASA’s DC-8.

ND-MAX research objectives include examining the effects of alternative fuels and engine technology on aircraft emission and contrails, collecting aerosol and trace gas data for validating models and satellite-sensor measurements, and evaluating the performance of new instruments and inlets for potential use in future earth-science missions.

To complete this exciting research, NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory will deploy to Ramstein Air Force Base, Germany in mid-Jan. to meet DLR's Advanced Technology Aircraft (ATRA) Airbus A320. Together the aircraft will complete a series of science formation flights over a three-week period. Jointly instrumented by DLR and NASA, the DC-8 will follow the ATRA at a safe distance carrying a large suite of cabin and wing-mounted "sniffing" sensors to characterize trace gases, aerosols and ice clouds found in the exhaust plume. The ATRA will use two different standard jet fuels or a blend of jet fuel and renewable plant-based fuel. The mission will conclude the first week of February.

Media will have the special opportunity to participate in the pre-flight preparation for one of these flights from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. PST on Jan. 24. The experience will include a mission overview presentation from NASA and DLR scientists, comments from members of both agencies' aeronautics directorates, and tours of both aircraft. After the presentation and tours conclude, media will be invited to observe the aircraft take off from Ramstein's airfield.

Media interested in attending the event must provide full name, date of birth, nationality, passport number and media affiliation to 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs ([email protected]) no later than 5 p.m. Jan. 11, 2018. Due to limited availability, please respond as soon as possible, as attendance will be on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, call 06371-47-2458.

SOURCE NASA