
Overview
The C-23 Sherpa is a two-engine turboprop aircraft that is owned and operated by NASA Wallops Flight Facility (WFF). It is primarily used for airborne science research, logistics support for various NASA investigations, and testing for new airborne instrumentation. The C-23 Sherpa has a maximum altitude of 20,000 ft, a maximum payload capacity of 7,000 lbs, and a maximum flight duration of 5 hours.
Online information
Related Campaigns & Instruments
Review the instruments operated on this platform for each of these field campaigns
Slide 1 of 4

Carbon in Arctic Reservoirs Vulnerability Experiment
2012—2015
Alaska
view all deployment dates
4 Deployments
· 26 Data Products2012-05-23 | 2012-10-30 |
2013-02-05 | 2013-11-25 |
2015-02-10 | 2015-11-12 |
2014-02-13 | 2014-11-09 |
The Fourier Transformation Spectrometer (FTS) is a high-resolution spectrometer used both in airborne and ground-based applications. FTS measures the solar radiance reflected from the surface, which can be used to estimate levels of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) in the atmosphere. It offers a spatial resolution of approximately 100m by 1000m and operates at a measurement frequency of 1 Hz during typical research flights.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Methane
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Monoxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation > Solar Irradiance
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Radiation
The Picarro gas concentration analyzer is an in situ airborne or ground-based sensor manufactured by Picarro, Inc. It uses Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) to measure trace gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and water vapor. For carbon dioxide measurements, the laser within Picarro operates at 1603 nm wavelength, while 1651 nm wavelength is used for methane and water vapor measurements. Picarro has a typical sampling time of 2.5 seconds. Depending on the model, Picarro can also provide measurements of carbon isotopes for gas concentrations.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Methane
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Monoxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Ammonia
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Nitrogen Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Nitrous Oxide
The Passive Active L- and S-band Sensor (PALS) is a combined airborne polarimetric radiometer and radar developed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It was designed to evaluate the advantages of merging passive and active remote sensors for measuring ocean salinity and soil moisture. Both the radiometer and radar in PALS operate across the L-band (1.41 GHz, 1.26 GHz) and S-band (2.69 GHz, 3.15 GHz) frequencies to measure brightness temperature and radar backscatter related to ocean salinity and soil moisture. Depending on the aircraft's altitude, PALS has a spatial resolution ranging from 600 to 1500 meters. Its design allows for installation on various aircraft and is typically used to validate observations from the Aquarius and SMAP satellite observations.
Earth Science > Land Surface > Soils > Soil Moisture/water Content
Earth Science > Oceans > Salinity/density > Salinity
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Backscatter
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Microwave > Brightness Temperature
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Radar > Radar Cross-section
The Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) imaging camera is an airborne infrared camera that measures radiance and provides thermal images. It is used to detect thermal properties of various land surfaces such as vegetation, water, snow, and soil. FLIR operates within the 8-12 μm spectral range. It has a field of view of 110 meters by 30 meters at an altitude of 600 meters above ground level.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Radiance
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Imagery
The Programmable Flask Package (PFP) is an airborne whole-air sampler. It includes twelve glass flasks for collecting air samples. These samples are then analyzed to monitor chemical species such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons. Each flask is sampled for about 2 minutes and pressurized to 40 PSI. PFP can also be utilized for surface-based whole-air sampling.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Methane
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens > Hydrofluorocarbons
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Sulfur Compounds > Carbonyl Sulfide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens > Hydrochlorofluorocarbons
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Nitrous Oxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens > Chlorofluorocarbons
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Monoxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds
Digital cameras are used to provide imagery for research applications. Cameras are used on aircraft to collect aerial imagery for mapping and surveying, environmental monitoring, cloud observations, agriculture, geological studies, and other Earth science applications. They are also used at field sites to capture visual observations to monitor changes in land cover, vegetation, clouds, air quality, glaciers, and other phenomena.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Visible Wavelengths > Visible Imagery
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Ozone Water-Land Environmental Transition Study
2017—2018
Chesapeake Bay
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 12 Data Products2017-07-05 | 2017-08-24 |
2018-05-08 | 2018-07-19 |
The Compact Airborne Formaldehyde Experiment (CAFE) is an in situ airborne instrument that measures formaldehyde (CH2O). It uses non-resonant laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to measure CH20 in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. CAFE uses a laser at 355 nm wavelength to excite CH20 and detect the fluorescence in the 420-550 nm range. It has a typical sampling rate of 1 Hz and achieves a precision of 160 pptv at zero pptv CH20.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Formaldehyde
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
Generic-Chemistry Related Sensors (Gen-Chemistry) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for atmospheric chemistry measurements. These are typically in situ analyzers that measure various chemical compounds such as trace gases, halocarbons, volatile organic compounds, nitrates, aerosols, and other chemical species. Measurements can include mixing ratio, composition, particle size, optical properties, and particle size distribution.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Air Quality > Volatile Organic Compounds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Aerosol Particle Properties
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Air Quality
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds
The LI-COR Quantum Sensor is a ground-based, in situ radiation sensor manufactured by LI-COR. It collects precise photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurements beneath vegetation or under artificial light sources. The sensor detects radiation within the same light spectrum (400 - 700 nm) that plants use for photosynthesis. While primarily used for ground-based measurements, the LI-COR Quantum Sensor can also be mounted on aircraft. It is suitable for long-term deployments and remains durable in high temperatures and humidity conditions.
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation > Photosynthetically Active Radiation
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation
The GC-MS instrument is a combination of two instruments: a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer. It is used on airborne platforms to study atmospheric chemistry, specifically non-methane halocarbons and volatile organic compounds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Non-methane Hydrocarbons/volatile Organic Compounds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens > Halocarbons
CARAFE
NASA Carbon Atmospheric Flux Experiment
2016—2017
Eastern United States Coast, Mid-Atlantic Region
view all deployment dates
2 Deployments
· 1 Data Product2017-05-03 | 2017-05-26 |
2016-09-07 | 2016-09-26 |
The Picarro gas concentration analyzer is an in situ airborne or ground-based sensor manufactured by Picarro, Inc. It uses Wavelength-Scanned Cavity Ring Spectroscopy (WS-CRDS) to measure trace gases such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, methane, and water vapor. For carbon dioxide measurements, the laser within Picarro operates at 1603 nm wavelength, while 1651 nm wavelength is used for methane and water vapor measurements. Picarro has a typical sampling time of 2.5 seconds. Depending on the model, Picarro can also provide measurements of carbon isotopes for gas concentrations.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Methane
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Monoxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Ammonia
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Nitrogen Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Nitrogen Compounds > Nitrous Oxide
The LI-COR Quantum Sensor is a ground-based, in situ radiation sensor manufactured by LI-COR. It collects precise photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) measurements beneath vegetation or under artificial light sources. The sensor detects radiation within the same light spectrum (400 - 700 nm) that plants use for photosynthesis. While primarily used for ground-based measurements, the LI-COR Quantum Sensor can also be mounted on aircraft. It is suitable for long-term deployments and remains durable in high temperatures and humidity conditions.
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation > Photosynthetically Active Radiation
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation
The MicaSense RedEdge is an airborne multispectral camera manufactured by MicaSense, Inc. It operates across five bands (460-860 nm) in the red, green, blue, near-infrared, and red-edge light spectrum to collect visible and infrared imagery. It is typically used on uncrewed aerial systems (UASs) for vegetation mapping. The MicaSense RedEdge had a ground sample distance of 8.2 cm per pixel (per band) at 120 m above ground level. It captures imagery in 1-second recording intervals and has a field of view of 47.9 by 36.9 degrees.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Visible Wavelengths > Visible Imagery
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Imagery
The Diode Laser Hygrometer (DLH) is an in situ airborne hygrometer developed by NASA’s Langley Research Center (LaRC). It uses tunable diode laser absorption to detect water vapor in the atmosphere. DLH operates in the near-infrared range at about 1.4 μm and has a measurement frequency of 100 Hz. It can deliver precise measurements of water vapor even when flying through clouds.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity > Relative Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
The Los Gatos Research (LGR) Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (GGA) is a portable analyzer suitable for in situ measurements, either airborne or ground-based. It utilizes off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) technology to simultaneously measure methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor (H2O). It can detect CH4 levels up to 100 ppm, CO2 up to 20,000 ppm, and H2O up to 30,000 ppm. The device offers a selectable measurement rate ranging from 0.01 to 1 Hz, with some models featuring a fast flow option capable of rates up to 10 Hz.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Methane
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
The Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) imaging camera is an airborne infrared camera that measures radiance and provides thermal images. It is used to detect thermal properties of various land surfaces such as vegetation, water, snow, and soil. FLIR operates within the 8-12 μm spectral range. It has a field of view of 110 meters by 30 meters at an altitude of 600 meters above ground level.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Radiance
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Imagery
The Turbulent Air Motion Measurement System (TAMMS) is an in situ airborne sensor used to gather aircraft navigation information. TAMMS consists of several subsystems, including pressure transducers and temperature sensors, an aircraft inertial navigation system, a central data acquisition system, and water vapor and other gas sensors. It provides measurements of aircraft position, flight level winds, temperature, pressure, and water vapor. TAMMS has a typical sampling frequency of less than 1 second and a spatial resolution of 5 meters.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Flight Level Winds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds
Rosemount Pressure Probes are in situ airborne pressure sensors manufactured by Rosemount, Inc. They provide high-precision atmospheric pressure measurements and are typically used to gather flight-level meteorological observations. Rosemount Pressure Probes consist of various pressure transducers, gauges, and multivariable and coplanar transmitters.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Differential Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Rosemount Temperature Probes are in situ airborne temperature sensors manufactured by Rosemount, Inc. They provide atmospheric temperature measurements and are typically used to collect flight-level meteorological observations. Rosemount Temperature Probes consist of temperature transmitters, thermocouple sensors, resistance temperature detectors, and other temperature sensors.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Upper Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Digital cameras are used to provide imagery for research applications. Cameras are used on aircraft to collect aerial imagery for mapping and surveying, environmental monitoring, cloud observations, agriculture, geological studies, and other Earth science applications. They are also used at field sites to capture visual observations to monitor changes in land cover, vegetation, clouds, air quality, glaciers, and other phenomena.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Visible Wavelengths > Visible Imagery
Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for measurements of atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds

Student Airborne Research Program
2009—2030
Southern California, Virginia
Ongoing
view all deployment dates
17 Deployments
· 0 Data Products2009-07-12 | 2009-08-13 |
2010-06-20 | 2010-07-30 |
2011-06-19 | 2011-07-29 |
2012-06-17 | 2012-08-10 |
2013-06-09 | 2013-08-02 |
2014-06-15 | 2014-08-08 |
2015-06-14 | 2015-08-07 |
2016-06-12 | 2016-08-05 |
2017-06-18 | 2017-08-11 |
2018-06-18 | 2018-08-10 |
2019-06-16 | 2019-08-09 |
2021-12-03 | 2021-12-10 |
2022-06-12 | 2022-08-05 |
2023-06-11 | 2023-08-04 |
2023-06-18 | 2023-08-11 |
2024-06-16 | 2024-08-09 |
2024-06-23 | 2024-08-16 |
Generic-Atmospheric State (Gen-AtmsState) refers to non-specific instruments on a platform used for measurements of atmospheric state parameters. These are typically in situ sensors that measure temperature, pressure, humidity, and wind speed/direction. Types of atmospheric state instruments include thermometers, hygrometers, barometers, and anemometers.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor > Water Vapor Indicators > Humidity
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature > Surface Temperature > Air Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Upper Level Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure > Atmospheric Pressure Measurements
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Direction
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds > Surface Winds > Wind Speed
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Winds
The Compact Airborne Formaldehyde Experiment (CAFE) is an in situ airborne instrument that measures formaldehyde (CH2O). It uses non-resonant laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) to measure CH20 in the troposphere and lower stratosphere. CAFE uses a laser at 355 nm wavelength to excite CH20 and detect the fluorescence in the 420-550 nm range. It has a typical sampling rate of 1 Hz and achieves a precision of 160 pptv at zero pptv CH20.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Formaldehyde
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
The Whole Air Sampler (WAS) is an airborne in-situ instrument that collects air samples for analyzing trace gases, such as nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), halocarbons, alkyl nitrates, and various sulfur compounds found in the troposphere. Air samples collected by the WAS are then analyzed using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to identify the gases present. The WAS collects samples every minute, allowing scientists to get a clear picture of the environment's chemical composition as research aircraft pass through.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Non-methane Hydrocarbons/volatile Organic Compounds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Sulfur Compounds > Dimethyl Sulfide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens > Halocarbons
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Sulfur Compounds > Carbonyl Sulfide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Aerosols > Nitrate Particles
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Sulfur Compounds
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Halocarbons And Halogens
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds
The Los Gatos Research (LGR) Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (GGA) is a portable analyzer suitable for in situ measurements, either airborne or ground-based. It utilizes off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) technology to simultaneously measure methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor (H2O). It can detect CH4 levels up to 100 ppm, CO2 up to 20,000 ppm, and H2O up to 30,000 ppm. The device offers a selectable measurement rate ranging from 0.01 to 1 Hz, with some models featuring a fast flow option capable of rates up to 10 Hz.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Methane
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Carbon And Hydrocarbon Compounds > Carbon Dioxide
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Water Vapor
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry > Trace Gases/trace Species
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Chemistry
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