IceBridge Preparations Continue

By George Hale, IceBridge Science Outreach Coordinator, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

The work of installing IceBridge’s science instruments on the NASA DC-8 airborne laboratory continued this week. People from the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets at the University of Kansas (CReSIS) and from Sander Geophysics Limited (SGL) spent the week installing the aircraft’s various radar instruments and the AirGrav gravimeter

With the last of the instruments installed and operational, IceBridge is now ready to start test flights next week. Monday afternoon’s schedule includes pilot proficiency flights and on Tuesday and Wednesday IceBridge will carry out instrument check flights.
University of Kansas Fernando Rodriguez-Morales & Bryan Townley work the MCoRDS Radar instrument installation
University of Kansas FernandoRodriguez-Morales and Bryan Townley install the MCoRDS Radar instrument 


SGL's Stefan Elieff and Sean O’Rourke complete the Gravimeter instrument installation


SGL’s Stefan Elieff and Sean O’Rourke finish installing the gravimeter instrument 


University of Kansas Ben Panzer and NASA Tech Donny Bailes work the KU and Snow Radar instruments antennas installation in the DC-8 wing root area


University of Kansas’ Ben Panzer and NASA Tech Donny Bailes work on the KU and Snow Radar instruments antennas in the DC-8 wing root area 


NASA Techs Kevin Mount and Terrance Dilworth accomplish instrument rack inspections on the DC-8


NASA Techs Kevin Mount and TerranceDilworth inspect instrument racks on the DC-8


NASA DC-8 Techs weigh the aircraft with the OIB instrument installation on board


NASA DC-8 Techs weigh the aircraft withthe OIB instruments on board