NASA plane will chase total eclipse from 60,000 feet

A NASA aircraft will take off from the defence area at Keflavik Airport at 3pm on Wednesday to study the total solar eclipse, mbl.is reports.

The WB-57 aircraft was built in the 1950s during the Cold War but has remained in service and is still considered one of the best-equipped high-altitude research aircraft available.

Two people will be on board: the pilot and a technician. Their mission is to photograph the Sun’s atmosphere in the hope of gaining a better understanding of its nature.

Preparations for the flight have been under way for several months. The research team will have about three minutes to collect data during the eclipse, and aircraft pilot John Gustine said the operation would require complete concentration.

The aircraft is equipped with one of the most advanced camera systems available. The equipment weighs more than 360 kilograms and can take about 500 photographs per second.

A large team is supporting the flight on the ground. Brett “Pugs” Pugsley, for example, is responsible for the aircraft’s supplies.