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Airborne science and technology

Airborne science and technology, Antarctica

Position: Lat. 90°0'0"S, Long. 0°0'0"E

Our airborne national capability

Our airborne science and technology services and facilities contribute to a National Capability programme that is supported by the UK Government and NERC.

Accessing our services

Scientific community access to Antarctic and Arctic infrastructure is coordinated and managed by BAS through the Collaborative Antarctic Science Scheme and opportunities for polar fieldwork for NERC-funded scientists. We encourage you to contact us as soon as possible to discuss your project requirements. Scientific instruments, sensors and equipment that will be deployed on Twin Otter aircraft require time for installation and certification. Depending on the instrumentation to be fitted it may be necessary that integration, installation and testing cost are paid.

BAS Air Unit support services

Provide the installation guidance and management of science survey equipment onto the BAS Twin Otters and Dash 7.
Carry out the installation and certification of the science survey equipment
Maintain the core BAS survey equipment
Provide survey equipment engineering support during science campaigns
Provide the guidance and oversight of UAS flying in Antarctica
Provide the development of BAS UAV capability.

Focal point for UK polar science our aims are to:

Sustain a UK national capability that delivers scientific understanding of environmental processes over large time and space scales, supports world-leading environmental science, and meets national needs
Enable the most ambitious Earth-system science by facilitating long-term, global-scale programmes that integrate research across disciplines
Reduce the long-term cost of our large research facilities and invest in new technologies that make far-reaching environmental research and observation more cost-effective
Ensure that our research centre thrives as vibrant, innovative, sustainable organisation that attracts and retains the best scientists

Airborne Geophysics

BAS will deliver an airborne geophysical capability deployed on low-cost piloted and autonomous aircraft. This instrument suite includes gravimeter, magnetometers and ice-penetrating radar, which can be flown with LIDAR in support. The suite has been widely employed on NERC and other grants. Details here

Airborne meteorological and atmospheric instrument suite (MASIN)

BAS will deliver an instrumented aircraft with suite of atmospheric instruments and scientific expertise ready-to-support grants, collaborations, and strategic programmes.