We have successfully completed three observations over Tonzi Ranch near Sacramento, California.  This was the last of the 6 observations over Tonzi since 2013.  The JSC G-III is now being reconfigured for Astronaut Return Mission.  We will resume AirMOSS flights at the end of June.  So far we have flown 40 flights in FY15, with about 30 flights to go before we wrap up our third and last year of observations.

The P-band radar has been re-installed on the JSC G-III for campaigns in the East Coast and California during the second half of May.  The radar’s Differential GPS (DGPS) experienced difficulty tracking satellite broadcast of real-time GPS correctors (NAVCOM service) reliably and we have had to replace the problematic unit (FM4) with a brand new spare (FM5) which works well on the ground but has not been flight-tested.  We flew a calibration flight over Rosamond corner reflector array on Monday with FM5 and continued to have trouble with reliable DGP

We are conducting the last set of observations of the year over Oklahoma and Walnut Gulch, AZ.  We successfully conducted three observations over MOISST (Marena, OK) and two over Walnut Gulch.

We completed this year’s radar and ground observation campaigns as the last flight was flown over Walnut Gulch on the night of October 23.

The P-band radar has successfully completed two observations over Tonzi Ranch, California and is now embarking on the Costa Rica deployment to observe tropical forest biome in La Selva.  In preparation for the open house to be held in Liberia, Costa Rica and organized by Costa Rica’s Centro Nacional de Alta Tecnologia (CeNAT), we have assembled a collection of outreach material including information on AirMOSS mission as well as relevant NASA spaceborne missions SMAP and GRACE.  We’ve updated the AirMOSS banner stand to highli

We have successfully completed the Costa Rica deployment where we observed the tropical forest biome in La Selva on February 18, 21, and 24 respectively.  Science team members were in the field on the last two flights making soil moisture measurements and collecting vegetation information and other ancillary data.

This week the JSC G-III-mounted AirMOSS radar is stationed at Ellington Field, TX while we conduct observations in Mexico and Oklahoma.  The Mexico flights are our third and last annual observation over Chamela’s subtropical dry forest.  The flights over Marena, OK, a SMAP calibration site over temperate grassland, is the first observation of the year.  Both the radar and the aircraft have been performing well and at the end of the week, we will wrap up the spring observations while the aircraft will be reconfigured for astronaut return mission.

Last week we completed three observations over Metolius, OR and we also conducted a long flight in Alaska over the permafrost for Dr. Mahta Moghaddam’s Interdisciplinary Science task.  All data were acquired without issues.  The JSC G-III has now returned to Texas where we will conduct flights in Mexico and Oklahoma for the next 10 days.  Attached is a quick look polarimetric image of permafrost just east of Norton Bay, Alaska.

We are conducting the last set of observations of the year over Oklahoma and Walnut Gulch, AZ.  We successfully conducted three observations over MOISST (Marena, OK) and two over Walnut Gulch

We have resumed flights on September 19 where we acquired calibration data over Rosamond corner reflector array and one flight over Tonzi Ranch. Science team members from USC are conducting field work at Tonzi Ranch this week.