5.0 MISSION IMPLEMENTATION
Mission implementation is primarily concerned
with DC-8 and P-3B aircraft operations. Additionally, there is
the operation of the C-130 cargo plane, ozonesonde network measurements,
meteorological support measurements, ground station measurements,
and satellite data products. The ground station measurements will
be conducted by two PI’s (see Section
4.5) to obtain vertical column amounts of selected trace gas
species and supplementary ozonesondes. The mission deployment schedule
is given in Table
5.0-1.
5.1 DC-8 and P-3B Operations
The nominal flight schedule for the DC-8 and P-3B aircraft are
given in Table
5.0-1 and the nominal flight tracks are shown in Figure
2.4-1 and Figure
2.4-2. Nominal flight profiles are shown in Appendix
D. Layout of the instruments aboard each aircraft is shown
in Figures 4.2. Aircraft
characteristics are listed in Appendix
C.
Measurement systems installation and integration aboard the DC-8
will be performed at the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center where
systems checkout flights will also be conducted. The same functions
will be performed at the NASA Wallops Flight Center for the P-3B.
Both aircraft will begin the deployment for TRACE-P with a transit
flight from the U.S. West Coast to Kona, Hawaii. The two aircraft
will proceed to Hong Kong and then to Yokota AFB, Japan where they
will conduct coordinated local flights – 5
each at Hong Kong and Yokota. The
P-3B will then transit to Midway Island where one local flight
will be conducted. The
DC-8 will transit from Yokota to Kona, Hawaii and conduct one local
flight at Kona. Following
the Midway Island flight the P-3B will transit to Kona. Both
planes will return to their home bases of Dryden and Wallops, respectively.
5.2 C-130 Operations
The Wallops C-130 will transport critical cargo
and expendables unable to be pre-shipped or carried on the DC-8
or P-3B. It will also provide for supplementary P-3B crew. The
C-130 will initially load P-3B related items at Wallops and then
proceed with the P-3B to Dryden where it will load DC-8 related
items. The C-130 will accompany the P-3B to Hong Kong, Japan, and
back to Wallops. The DC-8 will have the same flight itinerary whenever
possible.
Table 5.0-1 P-3B,
DC-8, and C-130 Nominal Schedule During TRACE-P
Date |
P-3B |
Best Time |
Flt. Hrs. Alloc. |
DC-8 |
Best Time |
Flt. Hrs. Alloc. |
C-130 |
Best Time |
Flt. Hrs. Alloc. |
WDL
|
EDL
|
|
11 Dec |
Begin install inlets and plumbing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
02
Jan |
|
|
|
Begin install inlets and plumbing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
08
Jan |
Racks avail. to begin installation |
|
|
Racks avail. to begin installation |
|
|
|
|
|
|
15
Jan |
Holiday |
|
|
Holiday |
|
|
Holiday |
|
|
|
23 Jan |
|
|
|
CCB Hazard Review |
|
|
|
|
|
|
25
Jan |
|
|
|
Complete Rack Install and C/O. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
26 Jan |
Complete Rack Install and C/O |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
29
Jan |
Wallops |
|
|
Tech Brief |
|
|
|
|
|
|
30
Jan |
Wallops |
|
|
Cmplt. Elect/DADS & Power Ck |
|
|
|
|
|
|
31
Jan |
Wallops |
|
|
Rollout, Wt. & Balance, etc |
|
|
|
|
|
|
01
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Engineering Check & ICATS Flight |
|
2 |
|
|
|
|
02
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Pilot Proficiency Flight |
|
|
|
|
|
|
03
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Laser Calibrations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
04
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Laser Calibrations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
05
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
ICATS RVSM cert. Flight |
|
|
|
|
|
|
06
Feb |
Complete power check and hazard analysis |
|
2 |
Laser Calibrations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
07
Feb |
Safety brief and FRR |
|
|
Laser Calibrations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
08
Feb |
Engineering Check Flight |
|
2 |
Laser Calibrations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
09
Feb |
Test Flight 1 |
|
2.5 |
Laser Calibrations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
10
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Laser Calibrations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
11
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Dryden |
|
|
|
|
|
|
12
Feb |
Test Flight 2 |
|
3.5 |
Mandatory Safety Briefing |
|
|
|
|
|
|
13
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Dryden |
|
|
|
|
|
|
14
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Test Flight 1 |
|
3 |
|
|
|
|
15
Feb |
Test Flight 3 |
|
5.5 |
ORR |
|
|
|
|
|
|
16
Feb |
C-130 load ready in N-159 |
|
|
Test Flight 2 |
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
17
Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Dryden |
|
|
|
|
|
|
18 Feb |
Wallops |
|
|
Dryden |
|
|
|
|
|
|
19
Feb |
Holiday--Wallops
Pack |
|
|
Holiday |
|
|
Holiday |
|
|
|
20
Feb |
Wallops Pack & Load C-130 |
|
|
Test Flight 3 |
|
6 |
Upload P-3B Equipment |
|
|
|
21
Feb |
Wallops Pack & Load C-130 |
|
|
Dryden Pack |
|
|
Upload P-3B Equipment |
|
|
|
22
Feb |
Delay |
|
|
Dryden Pack |
|
|
Delay |
|
|
|
23
Feb |
Delay |
|
|
Dryden Pack & load C-130 |
|
|
Transit: Wallops to Dryden |
7.9 |
7.9 |
|
24
Feb |
Transit: Wallops to Palmdale |
6.8 |
8.5 |
Dryden Pack |
|
|
Transit: DFRC to Palmdale |
0.4 |
0.4 |
|
25
Feb |
Palmdale |
|
|
Dryden Pack |
|
|
Palmdale |
|
|
27
Feb |
26
Feb |
Transit: Palmdale to Kona, Hawaii |
7.5 |
8.5 |
Transit: Dryden to Kona, Hawaii |
5.9 |
8 |
Transit: Palmdale to Kona, Hawaii |
8.6 |
8.6 |
28
Feb |
27
Feb |
Transit: Kona, Hawaii to Wake Isl. |
6.3 |
8.5 |
Transit: Kona, Hawaii to Guam |
8.4 |
10 |
Transit: Kona, Hawaii to Wake Isl. |
7.1 |
7.1 |
01
Mar |
28
Feb |
Wake Island |
|
|
Guam |
|
|
Wake Island |
|
|
02
Mar |
01
Mar |
Transit: Wake Island to Guam |
4.1 |
6 |
Guam |
|
|
Transit: Wake Island to Guam |
4.7 |
4.7 |
03
Mar |
02
Mar |
Guam |
|
|
Guam |
|
|
Guam |
|
|
04
Mar |
03
Mar |
Transit: Guam to Hong Kong |
6.1 |
8 |
Transit: Guam to Hong Kong |
4.8 |
7 |
Transit:
Guam to Hong Kong
|
7.0 |
7.0 |
05
Mar
|
04 Mar |
Hong Kong |
|
|
Hong Kong |
|
|
Offload all equipment
|
|
|
06
Mar |
05
Mar |
Hong Kong Local 1 |
|
8 |
Hong Kong Local 1 |
10 |
|
|
|
|
07
Mar |
06
Mar |
Down Day |
|
|
Down Day |
|
|
|
|
|
08
Mar |
07
Mar |
Hong Kong |
|
8 |
Hong Kong |
|
8 |
|
|
|
09
Mar |
08
Mar |
Hong Kong Local 2 to Okinawa |
2.7 |
8 |
Hong Kong Local 2 to Okinawa |
2.1 |
10 |
|
|
|
10
Mar |
09
Mar |
Hong Kong Local 3 Okinawa to Hong Kong |
2.9 |
8 |
Hong Kong Local 3 Okinawa to Hong Kong |
2.3 |
6 |
|
|
|
11
Mar |
10
Mar |
Hong Kong |
|
|
Hong Kong |
|
|
|
|
|
12
Mar |
11
Mar |
Hong Kong |
|
|
Hong Kong |
|
|
|
|
|
13
Mar |
12
Mar |
Hong Kong Local 4 |
|
8 |
Hong Kong Local 4 |
|
8 |
|
|
|
14
Mar |
13
Mar |
Hong Kong |
|
|
Hong Kong |
|
|
|
|
|
15
Mar |
14 Mar |
Hong Kong Pack |
|
|
Hong Kong Pack |
|
|
|
|
|
16
Mar |
15 Mar |
Hong Kong Pack |
|
|
Hong Kong Pack |
|
|
Upload all equipment |
|
|
17
Mar |
16 Mar |
Transit: Hong Kong to Okinawa |
2.7 |
8 |
Transit: Hong Kong to Okinawa |
2.1 |
9 |
Transit: Hong
Kong to Okinawa |
3.1 |
3.1 |
18
Mar
|
17 Mar
|
Transit: Okinawa to Yokota AB |
2.7 |
8 |
Transit: Okinawa to Yokota AB |
2.1 |
10 |
Transit:
Okinawa to Yokota AB
|
3.1 |
3.1 |
19
Mar |
18 Mar |
Yokota AB |
|
|
Yokota AB |
|
|
|
|
|
20
Mar |
19
Mar |
Yokota AB |
|
|
Yokota AB crew changeout |
|
|
|
|
|
21
Mar |
20 Mar |
Yokota Local 1 |
|
8 |
Yokota Local 1 |
|
8 |
|
|
|
22
Mar |
21
Mar |
Down Day |
|
|
Down Day |
|
|
|
|
|
23
Mar |
22
Mar |
Yokota AB |
|
|
Yokota AB |
|
|
|
|
|
24
Mar |
23
Mar |
Yokota Local 2 |
|
8 |
Yokota Local 2 |
|
8 |
|
|
|
25
Mar |
24
Mar |
Yokota AB |
|
|
Yokota AB |
|
|
|
|
|
26
Mar |
25
Mar |
Yokota AB |
|
|
Yokota AB |
|
|
|
|
|
27
Mar |
26
Mar |
Yokota Local 3 |
|
6 |
Yokota Local 3 |
|
8 |
|
|
|
28
Mar |
27
Mar |
Yokota AB |
|
|
Yokota AB |
|
|
|
|
|
29
Mar |
28
Mar |
Yokota AB |
|
|
Yokota AB |
|
|
|
|
|
30
Mar |
29
Mar |
Yokota Local 4 Yokota to Okinawa |
3 |
8 |
Yokota Local 4 Yokota to Okinawa |
2.3 |
10 |
|
|
|
31
Mar |
30
Mar |
Yokota Local 5 Okinawa to Yokota |
2.7 |
8 |
Yokota Local 5 Okinawa to Yokota |
2.1 |
8 |
|
|
|
01
Apr |
31
Mar |
Down Day |
|
|
Down Day |
|
|
|
|
|
02
Apr |
01 Apr |
Yokota Pack |
|
|
Yokota Pack |
|
|
Upload all P-3B Equipment
|
|
|
03
Apr |
02
Apr |
Yokota Pack |
|
|
Yokota Pack |
|
|
Upload all DC-8 Equipment |
|
|
04
Apr |
03
Apr |
Transit: Yokota AB to Midway |
5.5 |
8 |
Transit: Yokota AB to Kona, Hawaii |
8.5 |
10 |
Transit: Yokota AB to Midway |
6.2 |
6.2 |
05
Apr |
04
Apr |
Midway |
|
|
Kona |
|
|
Midway |
|
|
|
05
Apr |
Midway Local 1 |
|
8 |
Kona Local 1 |
|
10 |
Midway |
|
|
|
06
Apr |
Midway Pack |
|
|
Down Day |
|
|
Midway |
|
|
|
07
Apr |
Transit: Midway to Kona, Hawaii |
3.2 |
4 |
Kona Pack |
|
|
Transit: Midway to Kona, Hawaii |
3.6 |
3.6 |
|
08
Apr |
Kona, Hawaii |
|
|
Kona, Hawaii |
|
|
Reload and Upload DC-8 |
|
|
|
09
Apr |
Transit: Kona, Hawaii to Dryden |
6.3 |
6.5 |
Transit: Kona, Hawaii to Dryden |
5.3 |
8 |
Transit: Kona, Hawaii to Dryden |
7.1 |
7.1 |
|
10
Apr |
Transit: Dryden to WFF |
5.3 |
7 |
Off Load |
|
|
Transit: Dryden to WFF |
6 |
6 |
|
11
Apr |
Off Load |
|
|
Off Load |
|
|
Off Load P-3B Equipment |
|
|
|
12
Apr |
Off Load |
|
|
Off Load |
|
|
Off Load P-3B Equipment |
|
|
|
13
Apr |
Off Load |
|
|
Complete |
|
|
Complete |
|
|
|
14
Apr |
Off Load |
|
|
Complete |
|
|
Complete |
|
|
|
15 Apr |
Complete |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Flight Hours Planned |
|
172.5 |
|
|
163 |
|
64.8 |
64.8 |
|
|
Total Flight Hours Available |
|
172.5 |
|
|
163 |
|
|
|
5.3 Ozonesonde Network Measurements
Supporting measurements
for the TRACE-P mission include releases from Trinidad Head, California;
Hilo, Hawaii; Sapporo, Tsukuba, Naha, and Kagoshima, Japan; Java,
Indonesia; Fiji; American Samoa; Hong Kong; Taiwan; and Cheju Island,
Korea (Figure 2.5-1).
The sondes from Trinidad Head, California and Hilo Hawaii are included
in TRACE-P as sites operated by PI Sam Oltmans (see section
4.5.2). The Cheju
Island, Korea site is operated by Jae Kim, a co-investigator of
Sam Oltmans. The Sapporo,
Tsukuba, Naha, and Kagoshima, Japan site are included as part of
an agreement with the Japan Meteorological Agency and Hideyuki
Sasaki. These are
standard on-going releases, which have a data sharing agreement
with TRACE-P (see Section
2.4.4 and Appendix M). The
ozonesondes at Java, Indonesia; Fiji; and American Samoa are maintained
by SHADOZ (Southern Hemisphere ADditional OZonesondes) and provided
to TRACE-P through PI Anne Thompson. The
ozonesonde data at Hong Kong and Taiwan are provided to TRACE-P
per agreements described in Sections
2.4.2 and 2.4.6,
respectively. Data
sharing will conform to the TRACE-P Data Protocol (see Section
6.1).
Table
5.3-1 lists the investigator and/or organization responsible
for ozonesonde operations at each site as well as the nominal
launch rate
Table 5.3-1 TRACE-P Ozonesonde
Network
SITE
|
INVESTIGATOR
|
1Trinidad
Head, California
|
Sam Oltmans/NOAA
|
1Hilo,
Hawaii
|
Sam Oltmans/NOAA
|
2Sapporo,
Japan
|
Hideyuki
Sasaki/JMA
|
2Tsukuba,
Japan
|
Hideyuki
Sasaki/JMA
|
2Naha,
Japan,
|
Hideyuki
Sasaki/JMA
|
2Kagoshima,
Japan
|
Hideyuki
Sasaki/JMA
|
3Java,
Indonesia
|
SHADOZ
|
3Fiji
|
SHADOZ
|
3American
Samoa
|
SHADOZ
|
4Hong
Kong
|
H. K.
Lam/HKO
|
5Taiwan
|
Jen-Ping
Chen/NTU
|
6Cheju
Island, Korea
|
Jae Kim/Pusan
University
|
Launch Rate:
1Once
per week early spring 2000 – spring 2002, three times per week
during the mission
2Once per week from as soon as possible through October 2001
3Weekly
4Once per week premission through May 2002, twice per week during
deployment
5Once per week March 2000 – May 2002, twice per week during deployment
6Rate unknown
5.4 Meteorological Support
Measurements
Meteorological support for flight planning will
be provided by a team of meteorologists from the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology (MIT), Florida State University (FSU),
Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), Yokota Air Force Base (YAB), and the
GTE Project Office. The Co-Mission Meteorologists from MIT and
FSU (see Table
3.0-1) will, respectively, travel with and provide the specific
meteorological support required for the P-3B and DC-8 aircraft.
Personnel from HKO and YAB will provide general forecasting assistance
during deployment from Hong Kong and Japan. ECMWF gridded data
will be used during the entire mission for real-time forecasting
and post-mission analysis. The GTE Project meteorologist will support
the DC-8 and P-3B mission meteorologists through the acquisition
and the preliminary analysis of meteorological data products.
FSU will serve as the "home base" for
accessing the primary meteorological data products supporting flight
planning during the aircraft deployment. Personnel from both MIT
and FSU will use ECMWF gridded data to generate daily meteorology
products for the field mission. Additionally, satellite imagery
and meteorology products from various WWW sites will be used during
the field mission. All collected and generated meteorology products
will be stored on a dedicated PC located at each location, and
a subgroup of these products will be stored on the "home base" PC
for transmission to the field. A portable IMARSAT-B satellite-based
communication system coupled to a "remote-base" PC will
provide the communication link for a high data rate (56/64 KBPS)
PC-to-PC transfer of the meteorology products (e.g. calculated
and satellite images) stored on the "home base" PC located
at FSU.
MIT will generate a set of forecast products to
include maps of surface pressure, temperature and winds, divergent
wind component at 1000 and 200 hPa, geopotential height and temperature,
specific humidity, potential vorticity, vertical motion, and streamlines
all at various pressure levels. FSU will calculate backward trajectories
during the deployment phase using the ECMWF gridded data. Clusters
of arrival points will be selected at locations along the anticipated
flight tracks of the next several DC-8 and P-3B missions. Ten-day
backward trajectories will be computed at various altitudes for
each of these arrival points. A computer set up at the NASA Langley
Research Center will automatically collect daily satellite imagery
and meteorology products from various WWW sites, and download 3-hourly,
4-km, visible, infrared, and water vapor McIDAS satellite imagery
files from the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center during the field
mission.
After the deployment phase is completed, MIT,
FSU, and the GTE Project Office will provide post-mission analyses.
FSU will re-compute trajectories, using actual flight information
to select the arrival points and levels. The Science Team will
be asked to select additional locations/levels that are needed
in their individual research analyses. These results will constitute
the final trajectory archive located at the GTE Project Office
at NASA Langley. Finally, trajectory climatology will be prepared
for the Western Pacific Basin, emphasizing locations visited by
the two aircraft. These results will also become part of the final
archive. Table
5.4-1 lists the meteorological parameters that will be used
for in-field flight planning, post-mission data analysis, and become
part of the mission data archive located at the GTE Project Office
at NASA Langley.
Table 5.4-1 Meteorological
Parameters Required for Flight Planning/Data Analysis
MAPS
Parameter |
Location |
Pressure |
Surface |
Temperature |
Surface |
Wind |
Surface |
Divergent wind component |
1000 and 200 hPa |
Geopotential height |
500 and 300 hPa |
Temperature |
500 and 300 hPa |
Specific humidity |
1000, 500, and 300 hPa |
Potential vorticity |
305, 315, 325, and 350K theta surfaces |
Wind |
305, 315, 325, and 350K theta surfaces |
Vertical motion |
850, 500, and 300 hPa |
Streamlines |
1000, 500, and 300 hPa |
Specific humidity |
Cross-section |
Wind |
Cross-section |
Potential temperature |
Cross-section |
Potential vorticity |
Cross-section |
SATELLITE IMAGES
Satellite Images for planned flight track
regions |
TRAJECTORIES
Real time trajectories |
Post mission trajectories+ |
Trajectory climatology+ |
Streamline, pressure, etc. climatology+ |
+
Available post mission
5.5 Supporting Ground Measurements
The Japanese ground station measurements by Koike and ozonesondes
launched from Hawaii and California by Oltmans are self contained
operations and are generally performed independently of the DC-8
and P-3B aircraft flights. These two activities do coordinate their
measurements in the time interval of the planned aircraft flights
and likely will coordinate to the specific over flight time of
day if, and when, the aircraft are in the same area.
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