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A view of Chile's Glacier Grey from Lago Grey (Grey Lake), with the Cuernos del Paine mountains in the background, seen during NASA's AirSAR 2004 campaign. NASA Photo / Jim Ross

The Nature of Research

Dryden's DC-8 airborne laboratory recently completed the AirSAR mission to Puerto Rico, Chile and Antarctica to map the environmental effects of global warming.

AirSAR is an all-weather imaging tool.

Dryden photographer Jim Ross documented the wildlife, environment and vistas as part of the mission.

The March X-Press profiled the Costa Rican segment of the journey. These images span the next two legs of the three-week mission, which took researchers on to Chile and Antarctica.

In addition to the scientific aspects of the AirSAR mission, the crew also served as NASA ambassadors and as conduits through which children in the countries where the missions were staged might be inspired.

For information about AirSAR on the Internet, visit http://airsar.jpl.nasa.gov and /centers/dfrc/Research/AirSci/index2.html

New photos of NASA's DC-8 flying laboratory can be downloaded at /centers/dfrc/Gallery/Photo/DC-8/index.html

	The Cuernos del Paine mountains in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park provide a backdrop to a herd of guanacos. NASA Photo / Jim Ross		A penguin near Punta Arenas, Chile - the southernmost city on Earth - photographed in its summer habitat. NASA Photo / Jim Ross

	A small fox takes a rest in Chile's Torres del Paine National Park. Photo / Jim Ross		NASA DC-8 pilots Craig Bomben, standing in foreground, and Bill Brockett, seated, explain the DC-8 to Chilean students onboard the aircraft in Punta Arenas, Chile. NASA Photo / Jim Ross

	A view from the DC-8 as it approached the Larsen Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula. Photo / Jim Ross