Comments on: Not blowin in the wind http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/2010/03/11/not-blowin-in-the-wind/?src=fromthefield-rss NASA scientists are in the field and write home to tell about it. Tue, 23 Apr 2013 07:52:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Jekko http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/2010/03/11/not-blowin-in-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-1393 Jekko Sat, 24 Apr 2010 07:45:44 +0000 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/?p=1004#comment-1393 Wow, Paul your Global Hawk looks awesome I wish you all the best with your test flight and hope the weather is calm when you fly. Good Luck

]]> By: Paul Newman http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/2010/03/11/not-blowin-in-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-1061 Paul Newman Sun, 21 Mar 2010 17:10:01 +0000 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/?p=1004#comment-1061 @Ed McCarvill. The asthenosphere is part of the Earth’s crust. I think you’re referring to the stratosphere and the polar stratospheric clouds or PSCs that form in mid-winter. PSCs are very beautiful and cool (so to speak) clouds. They form at temperatures of about -109 Fahrenheit!!! Unfortunately, the Arctic stratosphere is already transitioning to the warmer conditions of summer, and the temperatures are now too warm for PSCs to form. If you’d like to see some pictures of PSCs, go to: http://acdb-ext.gsfc.nasa.gov/People/Newman/solveii/pics/newman_pics/flt_030114/images.html

]]> By: Paul Newman http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/2010/03/11/not-blowin-in-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-1060 Paul Newman Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:59:56 +0000 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/?p=1004#comment-1060 @Howard Kellogg. NASA has two ER-2 aircraft (the civilian version of the U-2). The ER-2 has a bicycle gear (a main wheel and a small tail dragger wheel). The “outrigger” wheels are called pogos. Those pogos fall away from the aircraft as the ER-2 takes off, and the crew collects them off the runway. The pilots have to balance the aircraft on landing like tight-rope walkers. The Global Hawk has a tricycle gear that makes them a bit more stable than the ER-2, but long-winged aircraft are still difficult to handle in stiff winds.

I’m not sure if the Northrop Grumman team has explored outrigger wheels for heavy wind conditions. However, 9 out of 10 days the winds are within limits, so we’re hoping that the weather will be kind to us.

]]> By: Ed McCarvill http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/2010/03/11/not-blowin-in-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-1055 Ed McCarvill Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:20:52 +0000 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/?p=1004#comment-1055 The asthenosphere at the polar sites: Will the craft be flown there to discover the make-up of the bright circular clouds visible when that polar location is in its winter moments? If so, then it is conceivable that protons from the 2003 solar CME would be the main cloud forming particles. As to there being any interest in those particles, they are a positive energy, and when they interact with objects, then EM and magnetics are created. So, would such as that create problems for the craft?
Concern from an armchair solar physicist. Eddie R.

]]> By: Howard Kellogg http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/2010/03/11/not-blowin-in-the-wind/comment-page-1/#comment-1035 Howard Kellogg Thu, 18 Mar 2010 18:10:56 +0000 http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/blogs/fromthefield/?p=1004#comment-1035 The old U2′s had little wheels on the wings to keep them from flapping. Have you tried that?

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