So the second deployment of NASA’s Atmospheric Tomography Mission is underway. My colleague, Agnieszka, is flying the first half, down the Pacific, and I’m to meet the plane and take over in Christchurch, New Zealand. Rather than head home to Boulder for the 3 days, and then back to LA (where the mission departs from NASA Armstrong) and on the Christchuch, I figured I’d fly out to New Zealand straight after the DC8 left Armstrong and take a few days to see a little of the country. Of course, I needed to keep in close contact with people on the mission, but with careful planning, this was compatible with a bit of traveling.
This is a science blog, not a travel blog, so I won’t take up your time with a full-on travelogue. However, since it is a remarkable thing to get to travel to such places in conjunction with work, I’ll pop a few picture here for those who are interested.