ER-2 Platform

Summary:

The ER-2 aircraft is a high-altitude multi-sensor platform used by NASA that supports various scientific missions. The ER-2 is a derivative of the USAF U2. Normal cruising altitude is 12 miles (20km) above sea level, which places the ER-2 above 95 percent of the atmosphere. At this high cruising altitude a sensor flown aboard it has a view of the Earth similar to space-based satellites. This feature allows scientists to test remote sensing experiments aboard the ER-2 instead of waiting for years for a rocket launch of the experiment.