Appendix B

Budgeting for an Airborne Science Mission 

Airborne Science Mission Costs

In addition to the usage-based flight hour costs (personnel, fuel, and aircraft operations), additional Mission Peculiar Costs (MPCs) may be included in the Flight Request cost estimate.  These include, aircraft integration, aircraft MPCs, and National Suborbital Research Center (NSRC) MPCs, and SATCOM MPCs. Please discuss the applicability of any relevant costs with the aircraft manager.

Aircraft Integration

If an instrument has not yet flown on an aircraft or the instrument(s) require(s) significant effort to integrate into the aircraft, “integration fees” will be assessed. 

Aircraft MPCs

MPCs include general deployment costs, overtime and personnel augmentation costs, and aircraft support costs. 

The National Suborbital Research Center (NSRC) NSRC provides payload support for Earth science research campaigns conducted by the NASA Airborne Science Program.  Support services include payload integration engineering, support for a suite of metrological and aircraft state measurements, and an onboard data system providing onboard networking, data telemetry and a package of situational awareness and communications tools.  Supported platforms include the NAS, P-3B, ER-2s and others as required.

• Engineering design/analysis of instrument and probe installations
• Instrument Integration support
• Measurement of aircraft state and meteorological parameters, with both real-time and post-mission quality-controlled data sets provided.
• Onboard network and timing services.
• Onboard video recording and distribution, with ground telemetry available upon request.
• Real-Time Aircraft to Ground and Aircraft to Aircraft text communication (X-Chat)
• Aircraft to Ground and Aircraft to Aircraft data telemetry.
• Support for a common Web-based Data API, providing access to instrument data onboard and over the Internet using common software, including real-time merged datasets.  
• Support for high and low-bandwidth satellite communication (Iridium and Inmarsat) with standard end-user interfaces.

• Precision Position and Orientation Systems
• Total Air Temperature Probes
• IR Surface Temperature Pyrometers
• IR Camera Pod, providing Forward and Nadir Flir IR with overlapping Visible camera.
• Dew Point Hygrometers
• Air Data, 2D Wind Measurements
• Ice Detector
• 4K Video Cameras

NSRC services will be charged to relevant FRs as an MPC.

Satellite Communication (SATCOM) MPCs

Satellite communications systems of various types are now installed on most of the Airborne Science Program (ASP) supported platforms. The tools referenced below are provided to assist in the development of requirements. After reviewing the SATCOM Requirements in the PI Support section of the ASP website, investigators should discuss their unique requirements with the aircraft manager. The relevant SATCOM lead will be responsible for providing the aircraft manager with the final estimate to be included in the flight request.

Please note that the ASP management would like to flight-track non-NASA aircraft (using NASA instrumentation, funding, or personnel) during their missions.  Flight-tracking devices and support are available from ASP for that purpose.
Iridium constellation’s Blue Sky Network 7100s with data rates up to 22 kbps/out, and 88 kbps/in, are standard equipment on the ER-2, P-3, WB-57, and the Gulfstream V. These are accessible through the NASDAT (NASA Airborne Science Data and Telemetry system) navigation data recorders. Payload use of the Iridium service through the NASDATs is available globally. INMARSAT BGAN (Broadband Global Area Network) airborne sat-com terminals supporting up to 432Kb/sec duplex data rates are installed on the P-3, WB-57F, ER-2, and the Gulfstream V
 
The WB-57F includes a Ku-band sat-com system (data rates in excess of 1Mb/sec) as standard mission equipment. Use of either BGAN or Ku systems is quoted as a SATCOM MPC to the Investigator in the FR. It should be noted that BGAN and Ku-Band service degrades rapidly at latitudes above ~70 degrees. Ku contracts are month-long and vary based on coverage location and the current contract pricing.

Iridium
Blue Sky Networks Skylink 7100 utilizing the Iridium constellation are installed on most ASP platforms.  Operational speeds are 22 kbps/out, 88kbps in.  Costs vary depending upon requirements. 
INMARSAT
The ER-2, P-3, and G-V have INMARSAT capabilities.  The WB-57F program at NASA Johnson Space Center provides INMARSAT capability separate from ASP.  Contact Peter Layshock (peter.layshock-1@nasa.gov, 281.244.1016) for details.
Ku-Band 
The WB-57F also includes a Ku-band SATCOM system (data rates in excess of 1Mb/sec) as standard mission equipment. Ku contracts are month-long and vary based on coverage location and the current contract pricing.  Contact Peter Layshock for more detailed information.
Pricing
Pricing models for INMARSAT and Blue Sky are in a state of flux currently.  Please contact the aircraft manager for more specific information.