[drum roll] Narrator: It's not exactly ancient.
But it certainly isn't new.
This is NASA's C-130 Hercules, outfitted as a flying laboratory
for the 2016 North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine
Ecosystems Study—NAAMES for short.
Informally, the flight crew and science teams
have a different name for the airplane:
50 Shades. Every time a science team needs to attach
an instrument here or make a modification there, it gets another slap
of gray paint. Fifty shades of gray.
But make no mistake: when it comes to serious science, this bird sings.
It can fly for ten hours at a stretch, filled with sophisticated
hardware designed to look at aerosols, clouds, ocean color,
and atmospheric chemistry.
From the flight deck, the crew gets a spectacular panoramic view.
It’s durable…and reliable… and while it will never be mistaken
as luxurious, it’s as much a part of the team as everyone on board.
[music]