By JO-MARIE BROWN
Nasa scientists have left New Zealand's skies after hovering overhead for the past week testing state-of-the-art radar equipment that will one day be used in space.
A DC-8 plane, dubbed the "flying laboratory," has been scrutinising New Zealand's landscape and gathering data as part of a two-month mission around Pacific Rim countries to test radar equipment worth several million dollars.
New Zealand's Landcare Research institute coordinated the visit as several organisations - including Otago University, Fletcher Challenge Forests and the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS) - wanted the radar to research particular information for them while it was here.
Landcare scientist Stella Belliss said her research institute had asked Nasa to provide information on the size of New Zealand's native forests, the different vegetation within them and the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed by the trees.
GNS had requested that the radar measure geological faults to help geologists to understand the features' origin and behaviour.
Otago University wanted information on erosion, and Fletcher Challenge was keen to know the wood volume of its exotic forests.
Nasa also gathered data from Mt Ruapehu and White Island on behalf of overseas scientists who are studying active volcanoes around the world.
Ms Belliss said the radar, believed to be the only one of its kind in the world, was brought to New Zealand in 1996 on a similar mission, and the information it provided to Landcare had been extremely valuable.
"The radar is a really important type of sensor because it can image the Earth's surface through cloud and at night as well," Ms Belliss said.
"It's also very significant because this research may feed into the development of equipment that will one day fly in space."
The plane, flown by one of Nasa's space-shuttle pilots, mapped areas of the South Island last week and flew over Ohakune, north Tongariro, Mt Ruapehu, the Kaingaroa Forest, Rotorua, and White Island on Wednesday.
The DC-8 and its 23 crew flew to Australia yesterday.
It will visit five other Pacific Rim countries before heading back to the Dryden Air Force Base in California to process and distribute the information gathered.
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