Environmental research from the skies
Students to have the opportunity to participate in NSERC flying laboratory in summer-long program.
Derek Scott
Issue date: 12/9/08 Section: News
Applying for the program
Novak explained the application process. "This is a national program, but we are certainly accepting applications from UND. For any students interested, the website is www.nserc.und.edu. We are looking for advanced undergraduate students or early graduate students. The departments we are focusing on, what NASA has asked, are physics, chemistry, atmospheric science, computer science, geology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and biology. One thing NASA really wants to do is make the work force more diverse."
Webster spoke about some of the work that goes into making a DC-8 flying laboratory. "For this year, we have done 3 missions. One, an atmospheric chemical composition method, measuring pollutants, aerosols, things like that. The second mission was looking at ice in the arctic. How the sea ice forms every year. The third mission was a little different, we were filming the reentry of the European Space Agency vehicle over the south pacific."
Webster is one of the engineers who has the job of ensuring the instruments affixed to the aircraft can accurately collect measurements, or film, without violating the integrity of the airframe, or the aerodynamics.
NSERC is a unit of UND's Northern Great Plains Center for People and the Environment and has successfully flown several missions around the world. The aircraft has flown in places like Tahiti, Costa Rica, Sweden and Western Africa.
Research obtained from the aircraft is, in many cases, used for public outreach and education in the areas of atmospheric sciences and environmental stewardship.
Novak explained the application process. "This is a national program, but we are certainly accepting applications from UND. For any students interested, the website is www.nserc.und.edu. We are looking for advanced undergraduate students or early graduate students. The departments we are focusing on, what NASA has asked, are physics, chemistry, atmospheric science, computer science, geology, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and biology. One thing NASA really wants to do is make the work force more diverse."
Webster spoke about some of the work that goes into making a DC-8 flying laboratory. "For this year, we have done 3 missions. One, an atmospheric chemical composition method, measuring pollutants, aerosols, things like that. The second mission was looking at ice in the arctic. How the sea ice forms every year. The third mission was a little different, we were filming the reentry of the European Space Agency vehicle over the south pacific."
Webster is one of the engineers who has the job of ensuring the instruments affixed to the aircraft can accurately collect measurements, or film, without violating the integrity of the airframe, or the aerodynamics.
NSERC is a unit of UND's Northern Great Plains Center for People and the Environment and has successfully flown several missions around the world. The aircraft has flown in places like Tahiti, Costa Rica, Sweden and Western Africa.
Research obtained from the aircraft is, in many cases, used for public outreach and education in the areas of atmospheric sciences and environmental stewardship.
Be the first to comment on this story