NASA Plans a Low Altitude Flight in the Greenbelt Area Tuesday

Greenbelt looks to be in the vicinity of a locale NASA has singled out for close aerial study. The agency plans to examine six locations closesly as it carries out its mission toward increasing satellite capability to measure ground-level air quality from space.

NASA is scheduled to fly a low-altitude flight over northeast Maryland and the Baltimore-Washington traffic corridor on Tuesday, from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Flights between the Washington Beltway and Baltimore will follow I-95.

The six locations that will see more than a low-altitude fly by, will experience the spiral ascents and descents of NASA’s P-3B research aircraft. And it looks like one of those spirals comes quite close to our green town. So Greenbelters may get a chance see and hear NASA's air quality mission in progress.

Take a look at the P-3B’s flight path map and judge for yourself:

Note by low altitude, we’re talking the large, 117-foot, four-engine turboprop flying as low as 1,000 feet above the ground. Just to give some perspective, commercial aircraft often fly more than 30,000 feet above sea level.

Drivers may also want to consult the aforementioned map to see whether they and the aircraft will cross paths during their commute. A plane flying that close just might inspire some rubbernecking traffic.

NASA has announced plans for approximately 14 DISCOVER AQ air quality field campaign flights through July, when weather conditions are appropriate.

Okay, get ready for this. DISCOVER AQ stands for Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality. Perhaps some brainy scientist could have stood with a bit more coffee before coming up with that one.

DISCOVER AQ is a NASA Earth Science Division air quality research effort that is being conducted in collaboration with the Maryland Department of the Environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and several universities.