by Rod Hughes
Three NASA aircraft flying over Costa Rica simultaneously will study cloud formations with the help of Costa Rican scientists in order to find out more about climate changes, according to a report today in the daily Al Día.
“There is a direct connection between cloud formation and climate changes,” explained Mike Gaunce, NASA science project manager, “Clouds absorb ozone and cause a change in general climate behavior.” The craft will fly at varied altitudes to collect samples.
As for the use of local scientists, Gaunce explained, “Costa Rican scientists are excellent. (Former austronautic and physicist) Franklin Chang is the best known, but there are others.” Gauce said at least one Costa Rican would manage the instruments to take samples in one aircraft and that a Tico may act as pilot, although the exact composition of the crew had not yet been defined. The mission, named TC4, will be based in San Jose’s Juan Santamaría International Airport and will probably take place in the second week of July.
Some 30 Costa Ricans in all are expected to take part, some local weather experts assigned to predict the weather on the day of the flight, according to Oliver Gómez, who is in charge of the National Aerotransport Research Program for the National High Technology Center. Gaunce said the mission had been in planning for 20 years and that three airplanes, a climatic radar and 200 persons would be involved, working out of National Civil Aernautics Base 2 at the airport. He added that each flight is sceduled to last 4 to 5 hours, although the DC-8 involved might stay in the air longer.
Costa Rica will have its own parallel mission, named Ticosonda, to take temperature and ozone samples. The tropics are vital to the formation of weather throughout the globe, Gaunce said.