Wednesday, September 14, 2016 - 21:15
OPERATION ORACLE of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States of America, the largest science mission of its kind to come to African shores in recent history, has begun off the coast of Namibia.
The first flights by NASA to study biomass and smoke particles in a semi-permanent cloud mass off the coast of Namibia in the south eastern Atlantic Ocean have already been undertaken. The presence of large amounts of biomass and smoke particles in the cloud is caused by the annual burning of vegetation on large tracts of land by subsistence farmers at the start of the rainy season in central and southern Africa.
The lead NASA scientist on the project, Professor Jens Redemann, said he is not aware of any other mission of this kind ever being undertaken by an organisation like NASA on African soil. He said this is the first of three science missions that NASA aims to undertake from Namibian soil.
The ORACLE mission is aimed at measuring the amount of biomass particles under, within and above the cloud. The data collected will be used to build more accurate computer climate models to determine the effect of the particles in the formation of the cloud mass itself and what influence it might have on future weather patterns both locally and globally.
Redemann said two more missions will be undertaken next year during August and the year after during October. He said that the mission needs to be stretched over three years to acquire the full spectrum of data needed to build exact climate models.
“Five NASA research centres, eight universities in the USA, two universities in South Africa as well as two universities from Namibia are collaborating to capture the data collected by the specialised aeroplanes,” he said.
Professor Redemann said six eight-hour long low level flights have already been undertaken with a highly modified mission specific P3 aircraft. The aeroplane can take measurements with its super sensitive measuring equipment while flying between 50 and 20 000 feet above sea level.
The mission is also utilising a modified U2 Spy plane designated by NASA as an ER-2 to undertake high level measuring missions.
The ER-2 can fly to heights on the very edge of the atmosphere where the air can still provide lift for an aircraft.