Willhite Launches S2

CRATER engineer Tyler Willhite launches the S2 Black Swift uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) into the sky at Rincon de la Vieja National Park, Costa Rica, during the 2025 campaign. CRATER (Costa Rica Airborne research on foresT Ecosystem Response to volcanic emissions), is a NASA-led project investigating the use of an uncrewed aircraft for volcanic trace gas sampling, in order to better understand the impact of carbon dioxide emissions on vegetation.