
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
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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 Programmable Flask Package (PFP) is a type of whole air sampler. This instrument consists of twelve glass flasks that can be filled with air. The samples collected by the PFP are sent to NOAA’s Global Monitoring Division and INSTAR’s Staple Isotope Lab where they are tested for trace gases. This instrument is used to monitor multiple types of trace gases.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Air Quality > Carbon Monoxide
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
The Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) imaging camera is an airborne infrared camera that measures radiance and provides thermal imagery. It is used to detect thermal properties on various land surfaces such as vegetation, water, snow, and soil. FLIR operates across the 8-12 μm spectral range. It has a field of view of 110m by 30m at an altitude of 600m above ground level.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Radiance
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Imagery
This data will be added in future versions
Earth Science > >
The Fourier Transformation Spectrometer (FTS) is a high-resolution airborne and ground-based spectrometer. FTS measures the solar radiance reflected from the surface, which can be used to derive measurements of carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4) in the atmosphere. It has a spatial resolution of around 100m x 1000m and a measurement frequency of 1 Hz for typical research flight conditions.
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 and 1651 nm wavelength 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 benefits of combining remote passive and active sensors for ocean salinity and soil moisture measurements. Both the radiometer and radar within PALS operate across the L- (1.41 GHz, 1.26 GHz) and S-band (2.69 GHz, 3.15 GHz) frequencies to measure brightness temperature and radar backscatter of ocean salinity and soil moisture. PALS has a spatial resolution ranging from 600 to 1500 m depending on the altitude of the aircraft. PALS can be equipped on many different aircraft due to its design and is typically used for validation of 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
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

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
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
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 provides accurate measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) under vegetation or in artificial light sources. The sensor measures radiation within the same light spectrum (400 - 700 nm) as the one used by plants for photosynthesis. The LI-COR Quantum Sensor is typically used for ground-based measurements, but it can be equipped on aircraft as well. It can be utilized for long-term deployments and is durable in high temperature and humidity conditions.
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation > Photosynthetically Active Radiation
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation
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 |
This data will be added in future versions.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Temperature
The Forward Looking InfraRed (FLIR) imaging camera is an airborne infrared camera that measures radiance and provides thermal imagery. It is used to detect thermal properties on various land surfaces such as vegetation, water, snow, and soil. FLIR operates across the 8-12 μm spectral range. It has a field of view of 110m by 30m at an altitude of 600m above ground level.
Earth Science > Spectral/engineering > Infrared Wavelengths > Infrared Radiance
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 measure water vapor in the atmosphere. DLH operates in the near-infrared region at around 1.4 μm and has a measurement frequency of 100 Hz. It can provide accurate measurements of water vapor even while 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
This data will be added in future versions
Earth Science > >
This data will be added in future versions.
Earth Science > Atmosphere > Atmospheric Pressure
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 and 1651 nm wavelength 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
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 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
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
The Los Gatos Research (LGR) Greenhouse Gas Analyzer (GGA) is an in situ airborne or ground-based analyzer. It uses off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) technology to measure methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor (H2O) simultaneously. It can measure CH4 up to 100 ppm, CO2 up to 20,000 ppm, and H2O up to 30,000 ppm. It has a selectable measurement rate of 0.01 to 1 Hz, with some models having a fast flow option for 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 LI-COR Quantum Sensor is a ground-based, in situ radiation sensor manufactured by LI-COR. It provides accurate measurements of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) under vegetation or in artificial light sources. The sensor measures radiation within the same light spectrum (400 - 700 nm) as the one used by plants for photosynthesis. The LI-COR Quantum Sensor is typically used for ground-based measurements, but it can be equipped on aircraft as well. It can be utilized for long-term deployments and is durable in high temperature and humidity conditions.
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation > Photosynthetically Active Radiation
Earth Science > Biosphere > Vegetation

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 |
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-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 Whole Air Sampler (WAS) is an airborne in-situ instrument that collects samples of air for analysis of trace gases, such as nonmethane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), Halocarbons, Alkyl Nitrates, and various sulfur compounds that are present in the troposphere. Air samples collected via the WAS then undergo gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to determine which gasses are present in the sample. The WAS collects samples every minute, which enables scientists to get a clear picture of the chemical composition of the environment 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 an in situ airborne or ground-based analyzer. It uses off-axis integrated cavity output spectroscopy (OA-ICOS) technology to measure methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), and water vapor (H2O) simultaneously. It can measure CH4 up to 100 ppm, CO2 up to 20,000 ppm, and H2O up to 30,000 ppm. It has a selectable measurement rate of 0.01 to 1 Hz, with some models having a fast flow option for 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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