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"Discovery Files" Features from the National Science Foundation
"HIAPER-Active"
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THE EYE IN THE SKY THAT'S PUTTING A NEW SPIN ON TURBULENCE. THE "DISCOVERY FILES": NEW ADVANCES IN SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING, FROM THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION. WHEN A COMMERCIAL AIRCRAFT FLIES OVER MOUNTAINOUS AREAS, IT MAY ENCOUNTER A KIND OF DANGEROUS TURBULENCE KNOWN AS AN "ATMOSPHERIC ROTOR". THE PHENOMENON OCCURS WHEN WIND MOVES QUICKLY DOWN THE SIDE OF STEEP MOUNTAINS--CREATING A LARGE SPINNING MASS OF AIR. THESE ROTORS ARE INTERMITTENT, VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT, AND DIFFICULT TO STUDY. THAT WAS BEFORE WE GOT "HIAPER" [LIKE "HYPER"]--OR "HIGH-PERFORMANCE INSTRUMENTED AIRBORNE PLATFORM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH". IT'S THE MOST-ADVANCED FLYING RESEARCH AIRCRAFT EVER CREATED. ON ITS MAIDEN SCIENCE MISSION, THIS MODIFIED GULFSTREAM JET RECENTLY CARRIED A PAYLOAD OF SENSING EQUIPMENT, AND A TEAM OF RESEARCHERS, ON A SERIES OF FLIGHTS ABOVE THE SIERRA NEVADA RANGE. STUDYING AND BEING ABLE TO PREDICT THE CONDITIONS THAT PRODUCE THIS UNIQUE TURBULENCE MAY HELP MAKE COMMERCIAL AVIATION SAFER. YOU COULD SOON HAVE MORE PEACE OF MIND IN THE AIR, BECAUSE OF SOME SCIENTISTS GONE "HIAPER". THE "DISCOVERY FILES" COVERS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE GOVERNMENT'S NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION: FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOU! LEARN MORE AT "N-S-F"-DOT-GOV.
For additional "Discovery Files" features from the National Science Foundation, click here.
