NASA research aircraft to conduct low-altitude flights over Houston and Gulf of America
A NOAA-operated WP-3D Orion will fly as low as 1,000 feet above ground level during the Student Airborne Research Program mission, supporting undergraduate students in field research and data analysis.
Five research aircraft will support a Student Airborne Research Program (SARP) mission operating out of Ellington Field in Houston from Wednesday, June 3 to Saturday, June 13. While many flights will operate at higher altitudes, select maneuvers will be conducted at low altitudes over the Houston area and the Gulf of America to support scientific data collection.
The mission involves a fleet of five aircraft, including a WP-3D Orion owned and operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The WP-3D Orion, commonly known as a hurricane hunter, will conduct maneuvers as low as 1,000 feet above ground level. It is equipped with scientific instrumentation, radars, and recording systems for in-flight and remote sensing measurements of the atmosphere, the Earth, and its environment.
NASA-operated aircraft participating in the mission include the Gulfstream V (N95NA), Gulfstream C-20A (N802NA), and Gulfstream III (N520NA). A King Air B200 aircraft (N46L), owned by Dynamic Aviation and contracted by NASA, is also part of the fleet. These NASA-operated aircraft are equipped with remote sensing instruments, including two lidars, a synthetic-aperture radar, an imaging spectrometer, and two spectrometers.
Pilots will fly remote sensing payloads in raster patterns, which consist of parallel back-and-forth lines. The instruments flown during these operations will help researchers map the movement of atmospheric gases and particles, changes to the lowest part of the atmosphere near the coastline, and natural processes affecting land and water in that area.
The SARP effort is an eight-week summer internship program that provides undergraduate students with hands-on experience in field research and data analysis. Participants gain access to one or more NASA Airborne Science Program flying science laboratories as part of the internship.
Real-time flight tracking for the mission is available via the NASA Airborne Science Program Tracker. The operations are scheduled to conclude on Saturday, June 13, after the five-day window of low-altitude maneuvers over the Houston area and the Gulf of America.
