Life on an aircraft campaign revolves around the weather. Each morning begins with a briefing, helping us decide on possible flight patterns to meet our scientific goals. Unfortunately, conditions over the weekend and early this week didn’t cooperate.

Monday brought our first opportunity for an EarthCARE underflight, but concerns about poor visibility during landing in Longyearbyen kept us grounded. Still, we made the best of it—lifting spirits with freshly made waffles while catching up on data analysis and refining flight plans for the days ahead.

And when all else fails, sometimes the best option is to step outside and enjoy a quiet moment in the sun.

Text: Kerstin Ebell