If you’ve noticed aircraft flying unusually low over the Houston area in the coming days, there’s no need for alarm.
NASA says five research aircraft will be conducting low-altitude flights around Houston from June 3 through June 13 as part of its Student Airborne Research Program (SARP), an internship program that gives undergraduate students hands-on experience in scientific field research.
The flights will operate out of Ellington Field and will primarily take place over the Houston area, with some missions extending over the Gulf of Mexico. During the research campaign, pilots will fly in systematic back-and-forth patterns while collecting atmospheric and environmental data.
According to NASA, the aircraft will help researchers study the movement of gases and particles in Earth’s atmosphere, changes occurring near the coastline, and other environmental processes affecting land and water in the region.
While many of the aircraft will operate at higher altitudes, one plane — NOAA’s WP-3D Orion hurricane hunter aircraft — is expected to conduct maneuvers as low as 1,000 feet above ground level. The aircraft is equipped with scientific instruments used to collect atmospheric and environmental measurements.
Other aircraft participating in the mission include NASA’s Gulfstream V, Gulfstream C-20A, Gulfstream III, and a King Air B200 contracted by the agency.
Residents who spot low-flying planes over Houston may be seeing these research flights as scientists and students gather data throughout the mission period. NASA says the aircraft can be tracked in real time through its Airborne Science Program Tracker.
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