NASA's Airborne Science Program is administered from the NASA Neil A. Armstrong Flight Research Center, in Edwards, California. The program supports the sub-orbital flight requirements of NASA's Earth Science Enterprise. Dryden maintains and operates two ER-2 high-altitude "satellite simulator" aircraft and a DC-8 which is specially configured as a "flying laboratory" in service from 1987 to May 2024.
The scientific disciplines that employ these aircraft include Earth sciences, astronomy, atmospheric chemistry, climatology, oceanography, archeology, ecology, forestry, geography, geology, hydrology, meteorology, volcanology and biology. The DC-8 and ER-2 are also important tools for the development of sensors intended to fly aboard future Earth-observing satellites, and to validate and calibrate the sensors which are used onboard satellites which currently orbit the Earth.
| Aircraft | Number in service | Introduced | Research Center |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell Douglas DC-8 | 1 | 1987 (end in 2024)[1] | Armstrong Flight Research Center |
| Lockheed ER-2 | 2 | 1981 | Armstrong Flight Research Center |
| Gulfstream C-20A | 1 | 2008 | Armstrong Flight Research Center |
| Gulfstream III | 1 | 2012 | Johnson Space Center |
| Gulfstream III | 1 | 2012 | Langley Research Center |
| Gulfstream V | 1 | 2012 | Johnson Space Center |
| Lockheed P-3 Orion | 1 | 1991 | Wallops Flight Facility |