NASA planes to fly as low as 1,000 feet over Southern California in pollution study

Residents in Southern California may notice low-flying NASA aircraft later this month as part of a mission to study air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, the agency announced Friday.

From June 29 to July 2, specially equipped research planes will fly lower than commercial jets — as low as 1,000 feet — over urban areas, power plants and landfills across the region, according to NASA.

The mission will also include missed approaches at local airports and low-altitude runway flybys to gather air samples close to the ground.

The agency stated the flights will use NASA’s P-3 Orion aircraft and a King Air B200, operated by Dynamic Aviation.

The flights are part of NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program (SARP), an eight-week summer internship that gives undergraduates hands-on experience conducting real-time scientific research, the agency stated.

“The SARP flights have become mainstays of NASA’s Airborne Science Program, as they expose highly competitive (science and engineering) students to real-world data gathering within a dynamic flight environment,” Brian Bernth, chief of flight operations at NASA Wallops, said in a statement.

NASA plans to fly specially equipped research planes like this Navy P-3 Orion from June 29 to July 2, 2025, at altitudes as low as 1,000 feet over urban areas, power plants and landfills across Southern California as part of a mission to study air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. (2017 AP file photo/Brennan Linsley)

NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility is a launch and research site on Wallops Island, Virginia, operated by the Goddard Space Flight Center.

Similar operations will be conducted earlier along the East Coast, including over Baltimore, Philadelphia and parts of Virginia, from June 22 to 26.

According to the agency, pilots will perform complex maneuvers in some of the most restricted airspace in the country, requiring tight coordination to ensure safety and precision.

More information about Student Airborne Research Program can be found at: science.nasa.gov/earth-science/early-career-opportunities/student-airborne-research-program/.