The lockdown due to the Coronavirus causes reduction of worldwide air transport and industrial production. Air pollution due to air transport has dropped significantly leading to a clear blue sky with very few contrails. Scientists of Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (MPI) in Mainz, German Aerospace Centre (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, Goethe University in Frankfurt, Research Centre Jülich (FZJ) and Research Centre Karlsruhe (KIT) took this unprecedented chance to probe the less polluted atmosphere and rapidly set up the BLUESKY project.
The two DLR research aircraft HALO (Gulfstream G550) and FALCON (Dassault Falcon 20) have been equipped with instrumentation in order to investigate resulting changes in the Earth’s atmosphere over Germany, Italy, France, Great Britain, Ireland and the North Atlantic. This will give the unique opportunity to analyze the state that can be achieved in the future with sustainable management of human activities.
enviscope and our partner “Gomolzig Aircraft Services” made a major contribution in development, integration and certification of the scientific payload aboard the two involved aircraft. On very short notice both research aircraft have successfully been converted for BLUESKY measurements within two weeks, even with the currently effective special infection control rules.
On FALCON the integration and certification of two measurement systems for O3, CO, CO2 and CH4 (FALCON_PIC) and a data logging system (FALCON_DAQ) for a Droplet and Aerosol Spectrometer mounted underneath the wings have been achieved by enviscope/Gomolzig.
On HALO enviscope contributed with the development, integration and certification of numerous instruments measuring atmospheric trace gases and aerosol particles.
| Instrument | Insturument description | Research Institute |
| CI-API-TOF | Aerosol Spectrometer | University of Frankfurt |
| SOPDET | SO2 Analyzer | MPI Mainz |
| ATTILA | Laser Absorption Spectrometer | MPI Mainz |
| CIMS | Mass Spectrometer | MPI Mainz |
| FASD | Aerosol Particle Counters and Spectrometer | MPI Mainz |
| HORUS | Fluorescence Spectrometer | MPI Mainz |
| MGC | Gas-phase Chromatograph and Mass Spectrometer | MPI Mainz |
| NOAH | NO Analyzer | MPI Mainz |
| SR | Radiance Spectrometer | FZJ |
In addition enviscope has assisted
- in configuration of intake systems
- in the development and certification of a flow control system for the intake HALO-HASI
- the DLR with the mission certification for both aircraft
- the DLR and scientists during installation and activation of the measurement systems
- in providing a protection system for NO as supply gas for measurement systems
In cooperation with our partner Gomolzig Aircraft Services a special temporary part145 maintenance work shop at the hangar has been set up on short notice in order to support the scientists with problems that may arise with their high sophisticated equipment.
We wish the mission BLUESKY successful measurements during this unique situation .
