Fusion PTR-TOF Aboard NASA DC-8 Over the Philippines

Multiple country mission in Asia for the DC8 flying laboratory has started.

Image Credit: NASA/Carla Thomas

The world's biggest airborne laboratory, a NASA DC-8 aircraft, has arrived in the Philippines for the first leg of its multiple country mission around Asia. Aboard the DC8 are two IONICON FUSION PTR instruments, one to monitor the gas phase and one IONICON FUSION PTR-TOF 10k equipped with a CHARON inlet system to monitor particles. We are very excited to be part of the NASA mission ASIA-AQ.

On February 11, the DC-8 logged the following: "Science Flight #3 of 4 in Philippines. Very successful mission flown in parallel with NASA520 Takeoff was at 0058 Z. Landed at 0841 Z. DC-8 Aircraft reached Flight 1500 Milestone!".

Congratulations to the 1500th flight of the DC-8 flying laboratory! Numerous of our most advanced air analysis instruments were already aboard this aircraft (e.g. PTR-TOF 4000 incl. CHARON, PTR-TOF 1000 and others) and fulfilled their challenging missions. After the ASIA-AQ campaign the DC-8 will be retiring, after 55 years of service.

The science flights over the Philippines have successfully been concluded. Next stop of the ASIA-AQ mission will be South Korea, Malaysia and Thailand.

Thanks to FFG Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft mbH for supporting this project (pSAT; ASAP 2022 call), our partner Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck and colleagues from Universitetet i Oslo (UiO).

Video Credit: TaiwanPlus News