DC-8 Airborne Laboratory in flight

This 16 second clip shows the NASA DC-8 airborne laboratory as it passes over the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains.

On December 29, 1997, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, California, received a DC-8 airborne laboratory from NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, California, where it had flown missions related to airborne science and earth science for many years. This airplane has continued to be used from Dryden for basic research about the Earth's surface and atmosphere as well as sensor development and satellite sensor verification.

In mid-February 1998, the DC-8 resumed flying its medium-altitude, science-gathering missions following maintenance and upgrades of its satellite communications system. It flew a variety of missions over widely scattered geographic regions during the rest of the calendar year and beyond to gather data about earth science, including weather and climate.

Built by Douglas Aircraft Company, Long Beach, California, in 1966, the DC-8 flew for 20 years with two major airlines before being acquired by NASA and converted to its present role as an airborne laboratory. The four-engine former jetliner was capable of flying extended-duration missions as long as 12 hours over a range of 5,400 nautical miles at cruise altitudes up to 41,000 feet. It was also capable of carrying a payload of multiple experiments weighing up to 30,000 pounds. On some of its missions, up to 30 scientists have worked on as many as 14 different experiments.

   Last Modified: December 9, 2001
   Responsible NASA Official: Marty Curry
   Curator: PAO Webmasters

   NASA Website Privacy Statement