NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA's DC-8 Airborne Science research aircraft takes off with new colors and markings. NASA operates a converted McDonnell Douglas DC-8 jetliner as an airborne science laboratory. The highly-modified aircraft, based at NASA Dryden Flight Research Center's Aircraft Operations Facility in Palmdale, Calif., serves as a platform for data collection on a wide variety of experiments in support of Earth and environmental science projects conducted by NASA, academia and various research institutions around the world.

These studies include archaeology, ecology, soil science, geography, hydrology, meteorology, atmospheric chemistry, oceanography, volcanology, and biology. The four-engine aircraft has been highly modified to support NASA's science missions. The DC-8 flies at altitudes from 1,000 to 42,000 feet for up to 12 hours, although most science missions last between six and 10 hours. The aircraft has a range of 5,400 nautical miles. The DC-8 can carry 30,000 pounds of scientific instruments and equipment, along with the scientists conducting the experiments.

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