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FISTA is a modified NKC135-E aircraft. It has 20 upward-looking window ports oriented at different angles for maximum coverage of the sky. Main instruments are near-Infrared and mid-Infrared spectrometers of Aerospace
Corporation and AFRL. Infrared sensors detect the comparative heat of objects. Spectrometers take the light appart in its colors. FISTA also carries a compliment of visible and ultra-violet spectrometers and
imagers of other researchers for a total of 10 experiments.This US Air Force aircraft is operated by the 452nd Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB. The aircraft is named FISTA, for Flying Infrared Signature Technology Aircraft. |
During the November 1998 campaign, ranging and imaging will be done from the
Lockheed L-188C Electra/308D
aircraft.
This same platform is used for field tests of the new University of Illinois airborne lidar
in August and September of 1998. That will
allow us to resolve technical difficulties in testing and minimize cost.
The Electra will carry the airborne lidar, an airglow imager, and
one High-D TV camera for optical imaging in upward looking ports.
Electra also will carry a small telescope for airglow and
train spectroscopy and a meteor spectrograph. Electra is operated by the
National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
Research Aviation Facility, an
National Science Foundation facility. The aircraft is
named "Electra" after the aircraft type.
Instrument layout .
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