NASA aircraft will photograph total eclipse from Iceland

NASA’s WB-57 research aircraft will attempt to photograph the total solar eclipse later today, mbl.is reports. The aircraft is scheduled to take off at 3 p.m., and its pilot and technician will have about three minutes to capture the event.

The WB-57 is a heavily modified version of the Martin B-57 Canberra bomber, originally built in the 1950s. Although its design has stood the test of time, the aircraft has been extensively upgraded, and much of its research equipment is newer.

It is fitted with advanced cameras developed after the Columbia space shuttle disaster in 2003. The research team’s lead sensor engineer describes the system as one of the best airborne camera systems available. The equipment weighs about 800 pounds, or more than 360 kilograms, and provides complete stability during flight.

Two people will be on board: pilot John Gustine and technician Cary Klemm. Gustine says his role is to position the aircraft at the precise location and time required by the tightly controlled schedule.

The aircraft’s ability to reach about 60,000 feet means the crew will face fewer concerns about weather and visibility. Ordinary passenger aircraft typically fly between 30,000 and 42,000 feet.

Gustine and Klemm said the mission has created both anticipation and tension after months, or possibly years, of preparation. Once the eclipse begins, they will have only three minutes to maximise the data collected, making precise camera settings and attention to detail essential.

The aircraft will take off at “fifteen hundred”, as the crew puts it, allowing time to verify the equipment and conduct further research before beginning the final 10-minute approach to the total eclipse.