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U-2 Photo
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ER-2 (U-2) in the SOLVE Project NASA ER-2 #809 (U-2) receives preflight fueling in Kiruna, Sweden prior to the SAGE III Ozone Loss and Validation Experiment (SOLVE). The NASA ER-2 #809, together with a DC-8, was based north of the Arctic Circle in Kiruna, Sweden, during the winter of 2000 to study ozone depletion as part of SOLVE. A large hangar built especially for research, "Arena Arctica" housed the instrumented aircraft and the scientists. Scientists had observed unusually low levels of ozone over the Arctic during previous winters, raising concerns that ozone depletion there could become more widespread as in the Antarctic ozone hole. The NASA-sponsored international mission took place between November 1999 and March 2000 and was divided into three phases. The DC-8 was involved in all three phases returning to Dryden between each phase. The ER-2 flew sample collection flights between January and March, remaining in Sweden from Jan. 9 through March 16. The ER-2 is NASA's "civilian" version of the U-2. "ER" stands for "Earth Resource". NASA's ER-2s have tail numbers 806 and 809 (previously 706 and 709). NASA began using the U-2 in 1971 to collect science data. It replaced the U-2s with ER-2s in 1981 and 1989. The aircraft were based at the NASA Ames Research Center until 1997 when they moved to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center. The aircraft are platforms for a variety of high-altitude science missions flown all over the world. They are also used for earth science and atmospheric sensor research and development, satellite calibration and data validation. The ER-2s can carry 2,600 pounds of experiments in a nose bay, the main equipment bay behind the cockpit, two wing-mounted superpods and small underbody and trailing edges. Most ER-2 missions last about six hours with ranges of about 2,200 nautical miles at altitudes above 65,000 feet. The aircraft is 63 feet long, with a wingspan of 104 feet. The top of the vertical tail is 16 feet above ground when the aircraft is on the bicycle-type landing gear. Cruising speeds are 410 knots, or 467 miles per hour, at altitude. A single General Electric F-118 turbofan engine rated at 17,000 pounds thrust powers the ER-2. For more information see the ER-2 Fact Sheet.
Original Images Photo Identification: EC00-0037-10, Jan.2000, Jim Ross (Original images include a "label" across bottom.) Image #1 — High Resolution, JPG Image #2 — Medium Resolution, JPG Image #3 — Low Resolution, JPG Image #4 — Thumbnail Resolution, GIF Information Page
Images On This Page Thumbnail: 205 x 150 pixels – 5,234 bytes (CRO-75)
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Cutout from Hi-Res Image #1 See this page for info about Hi-Res Cutouts. |
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