MODIS Airborne Simulator (MAS)

FLIGHT SUMMARY INFORMATION

Flight Track Map

Flight: 00-153
Date: 29 August 2000
Location: South Africa, Mozambique, and Indian Ocean
Deployment: SAFARI
Principal Investigator: Dr. Michael King (NASA GSFC)
Flight Scientist: Dr. Michael King (NASA GSFC)
Additional Sensors: AirMISR, CLS, LAS, MOPITT-A, S-HIS, & SSFR
Objective: To understand the key linkages between the physical, chemical and biological processes, including human activities, that comprise the southern African biogeophysical system.

Data Evaluation
Overall quality is good

Processing Information
Level-1B Data in HDF format is available
Flight Line Summary
Spectral Band Configuration
Spectral Response Function Table

Browse Imagery
Flight Tracks: 17
Scanlines: 72926

Browse Imagery Table
Click a Flight Track number to view a quicklook image Lat/Lon ranges are for the BEG-END scanline nadir pixels
Flight Track	Time Span (GMT)	Heading (Deg)	Lat Range (Deg North)	Lon Range (Deg West)	Length (scanlines)	Altitude (meters)
1	08:15-08:18	341	22.71-22.40	29.67-29.58	1185	15935
2	08:28-08:38	194	22.37-23.39	29.39-29.13	3532	18803
3	08:40-08:46	359	23.36-22.65	28.98-28.94	2380	19458
4	08:50-08:52	80	22.51-22.46	29.31-29.56	805	19802
5	08:52-09:04	84	22.46-22.46	29.56-31.02	4525	19948
6	09:08-09:34	169	22.74-25.63	30.97-31.76	9999	19800
7	09:34-10:01	168	25.63-28.56	31.76-32.54	9999	19988
8	10:01-10:05	168	28.56-29.00	32.54-32.67	1522	19886
9	10:08-10:35	358	29.00-25.97	32.90-32.92	9999	19866
10	10:35-10:37	2	25.97-25.75	32.92-32.92	756	20086
11	10:38-10:44	79	25.66-25.50	33.00-33.79	2475	20047
12	10:47-10:56	324	25.29-24.42	33.84-33.11	3682	20030
13	11:06-11:19	324	23.57-22.42	32.42-31.50	4807	20030
14	11:22-11:26	288	22.56-22.46	31.21-30.81	1283	19693
15	11:29-11:55	158	22.67-25.42	30.61-31.80	9745	19893
16	12:07-12:22	268	25.76-25.83	30.64-28.80	5482	20052
17	13:08-13:10	83	24.35-24.32	27.93-28.17	750	20138
Images 01 through 17 in sequence

Flight Summary Report

Author: Dr. Michael King
Mission Scientist: Dr. Michael King
ER-2 Pilot: Ken Broda
Takeoff: 0800 (UTC)
Landing: 1350 (UTC)
Duration: 5:50 (h:mm)

Objective and Summary:

Map the Gauteng and lower Mozambique sectors,
Overfly AERONET sites at Skukuza and Inhaca Island and document fires and burn scars,
Underfly TOMS (0929 UTC),
Monitor industrial and mining centers, including the Murchisan Lineament formation.

Key Flight Legs:

N/A

Highlights:

N/A

AERONET sites and features overflown during this mission:

Skukuza (20° 01.2´ S, 31° 29.8´ E)
Inhaca Island (26° 02´ S, 32° 54´ E)

Pilot Report:

Light haze reported by pilot in predominantly clear conditions, although some cloud scenes. 20-30 fires observed in Mozambique, one large one. Some loss of MAS data (fail lights at 1203, 1226, 1233, 1311 UTC) during the mapping of the Mozambique sector.

Meteorology:

A cold front is trailing along the southern Cape coast. Continental high established over southeastern Botswana with dry air in circulation over the northern parts of South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana and southern Mozambique is keeping skies clear over these regions. Offshore flow over Natal with onshore over central Mozambique..

ER-2 Science Instrument Payload Status

AirMISR: not on aircraft; being repaired
CLS: Lidar worked properly, but navigation data not recorded
LAS: no data
MAS: partial data loss
MOPITT-A: worked well
SHIS: operated in nadir mode; worked well
SSFR: worked well

Flight 00-153

Sample Imagery
Click image for full resolution
Track #4 South Africa

R: 11.01µm G: 2.15µm B: 0.46µm

Sample Imagery
Click image for full resolution
Track #6 South Africa

R: 11.01µm G: 2.15µm B: 0.46µm

NASA Official: Matt Fladeland
Project Manager: James Jacobson
Website Editor: Eric Fraim
Last Updated: November 16, 2021