Flying high above the clouds and moon-gazing may sound like a scene from a timeless romance, but NASA did just that in the name of Earth science research. In
NASA Armstrong Public Affairs SpecialistThe airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance instrument is moved across the hangar floor by robotic engineer Alexander McCafferty-Leroux ,from right to left, co-investigator Dr.
John Woodward, NIST astronomer Dr. Susana Deustua, air-LUSI chief system engineer Dr. Kathleen “Kat” Scanlon, and members of the ER-2 ground crew at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in March 2025.Flying high above the clouds and moon-gazing may sound like a scene from a timeless romance, but NASA did just that in the name of Earth science research. In March 2025 pilots took the agency’s ER-2 science aircraft on a series of night flights over NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, as the Moon increased in visible size. For those few nights, the high-flying plane was converted into a one-of-a-kind airborne lunar observatory., mission observed the Moon at different phases and measured the sunlight reflected by the lunar surface. Specifically, the instrument tracks the amount of light reflected at different wavelengths. This information enables scientists to use the Moon as a calibration tool for Earth-observing sensors. As an “absolute reference, the Moon also becomes the perfect benchmark for satellites to consistently and accurately measure processes on Earth,” said Kevin Turpie, air-LUSI’s principal investigator and a researcher based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. This helps scientists to improve the precision of many different measurements, including data on weather patterns, vegetation growth, and ocean conditions. As the highest-flying platform for airborne science, the ER-2 can fly the air-LUSI instrument in the stratosphere, above 95% of the atmosphere. Data collected at an altitude nearing 70,000 feet are highly accurate because the air is predominantly clear of the gases and particles found in the lower atmosphere that can interfere with measurements. The ER-2 aircraft is parked in a hangar at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, in March 2025. The plane is prepared for takeoff to support the airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance, or air-LUSI, mission.“To date, air-LUSI measurements of the Moon are the most accurate ever made,” said Kelsey Bisson, the NASA program scientist supporting the mission. “Air-LUSI data can advance our ability to understand the Earth and our weather, and they provide a new way to calibrate satellites that can result in cost savings.” The quality of these data has transformative implications for satellite and Earth observing systems. The improved accuracy and enhanced ability provided by air-LUSI data flown on the ER-2 reduces the need for onboard reference devices, effectually cutting satellite costs. The air-LUSI project is a collaboration between scientists and engineers from NASA, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Maryland Baltimore County, and McMaster University in Ontario. The ER-2 ground crew Wissam Habbal, left, and Dr. Kevin Turpie, airborne Lunar Spectral Irradiance principal investigator, guide delicate fiber optic and electric cabling into place while uploading the air-LUSI instrument onto the ER-2 aircraft in March 2025 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.“The collective effort of the American and Canadian team members offers an opportunity for truly exciting engineering and science collaboration,” said Andrew Gadsden, associate professor and associate chair for graduate studies in mechanical engineering at McMaster University, and co-investigator on the air-LUSI project. The McMaster team developed the Autonomous Robotic Telescope Mount Instrument System and High-Altitude Aircraft Mounted Robotic mission, prepares the instrument for upload onto the ER-2 aircraft in March 2025 at NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California.The HAAMR telescope mount was integrated onto the ER-2 and flown for the first time during the science flights in March. This new lunar tracking system is contributing to what John Woodward IV, co-investigator for air-LUSI, called the “highest accuracy measurements” of moonlight. To improve Earth observation technology, air-LUSI represents an important evolutionary step.
Armstrong Flight Research Center B200 Earth Science Earth Science Technology Office Earth's Atmosphere Jet Propulsion Laboratory NASA Directorates Science & Research
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Dolphins Surround SpaceX Capsule After Ocean Splashdown as NASA Astronauts Return to Earth: Watch!Dolphins surrounded the SpaceX capsule after it landed in the ocean on the NASA astronauts' successful journey home after nine months in space on Tuesday, March 18.
Read more »
NASA Astronauts Return to Earth After Nearly 10 Months Aboard ISSNASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore completed their mission aboard the International Space Station and returned to Earth on Tuesday evening. The Crew-9 mission, in partnership with SpaceX, splashed down successfully in the Gulf of Mexico off the Florida Coast after a nearly 10-month stay.
Read more »
Earth Day Quiz: Test your Earth Day KnowledgeAssociate Lifestyle Reporter
Read more »
NASA Tracking Airplane-Sized Asteroid Nearing EarthAsteroid '2021 FH1' is set to whizz pass the Earth on March 21 at a zippy 30,959 miles past hour.
Read more »
NASA Slashes $420 Million in Contracts Amid DOGE’s Broad Cost-Cutting MeasuresThe nation's space agency is cutting costs at the behest of Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, as part of the Trump administration's slashing of science funding.
Read more »
NASA Tracking Bus-Size Asteroid Approaching EarthAsteroid '2021 FO6' is expected to whiz by the Earth on March 27 at around 28,028 miles per hour.
Read more »