Community Corner

NASA Research Plane to Make Low Passes Over Area

Greater Annapolis residents can expect more than a dozen flights over the next month as a part of an air-quality study.

Broadneck residents will likely see—and hear—a large low-flying aircraft skimming just above the region in the coming weeks, perhaps as early as tomorrow.

Don’t be alarmed; it will just be one of two NASA research planes making their scheduled flights through the region as part of an effort to study urban air quality.

The planes will be making passes at the relatively low altitude of 1,000 feet, according to a NASA release.

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Officials said the test is also intended to help scientists improve their ability to measure ground-level air pollution from space.

According to a release, about 14 flights are planned. They are scheduled to take place between now and July 31, depending on the weather. The Maryland State Highway Administration tweeted today that one flight will be conducted Thursday, June 30.

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Flight times can range from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The study is called DISCOVER-AQ, which stands for "Deriving Information on Surface Conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality," according to the release.

The low-altitude flights should be easily seen in the area near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, according to the release. The route also will travel along the Interstate 95/Baltimore-Washington Parkway corridor from the Washington Beltway to Baltimore and to the Delaware state line.

The plane will retrace the same route several times during a day's flight, which can last up to eight hours, according to the release.

The Plane

NASA officials said the plane that will be making the low-flying passes is the P-3B aircraft, a 117-foot, four-engine turboprop.

It will be carrying nine scientific instruments that will sample the air the plane flies through. It will fly spirals over several stations on the ground that will act as measurement points, according to the release.

The specialized P-3B is based at NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, VA.

The flights are being conducted in cooperation with the Maryland Department of the Environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and several universities.


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