NASA and North Dakota sign DC-8 agreement

Dolores Beasley/Erica Hupp
Headquarters, Washington June 2, 2005
(Phone: 202/358-1753/1237)

NASA AND UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA SIGN DC-8 AGREEMENT

RELEASE: 05-137

NASA has signed a cooperative agreement with the University of North Dakota
(UND), Grand Forks, to house and operate the agency's DC-8 jet aircraft. The
purpose of the agreement is to create a National Suborbital Education and
Research Center (NSERC) at the university with the DC-8 suborbital
laboratory as
the centerpiece.

The agreement is intended to expand the science conducted using the DC-8 and
enhance hands-on educational opportunities for students. The agreement is
valued
at $25 million over a five year period. Transfer of the aircraft to the
university is targeted for fall 2005, pending completion of a safety review.
The
aircraft will be housed at the Grand Forks Air Force Base.

"We are extremely pleased to reach this agreement with the University of
North
Dakota," said Ghassem Asrar, NASA's deputy associate administrator for the
Science Mission Directorate, Washington. "The DC-8 is a national asset, and
we
look forward to expanding its use in both the educational and research
communities."

"We are delighted UND will be operating NASA's DC-8, a premier scientific
resource, for the benefit of the entire world," said university president
Charles
Kupchella. "This is a natural collaboration because of the strengths,
abilities,
and interests of our science and educational programs in environmental,
atmospheric, aviation, and engineering sciences."

The DC-8 has been part of NASA science programs since 1986. It has supported
satellite validation, Earth science studies, and the development of remote
sensing techniques for space-based observing systems. It has operated from
several NASA centers and deployed worldwide to support research including
ozone
depletion, tropical rainforest ecology, hurricane studies, and ice sheets.
Its
most recent campaign was to New England last January to support arctic ozone
studies and validation of NASA's Aura satellite.

UND is home to the Northern Great Plains Center for People and the
Environment,
which will have oversight for the NSERC. The university is also home to the
largest collegiate aviation program in the United States. It maintains and
operates 120 aircraft throughout the country, including 80 aircraft in Grand
Forks. The aircraft support aviation, atmospheric sciences, space studies
and
computer science education activities.

Through the agreement, the university will maintain, operate and manage
educational and science flight missions. NASA retains operational control
responsibilities including safety, airworthiness and mission management.
For more information about NASA and agency programs on the Internet, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/home/index.html



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Jacques :-)

www.spacepatches.info