Trenton, NJ – A low-flying NASA Gulfstream III research aircraft drew attention and speculation Saturday after executing a series of symmetrical east-west passes across New Jersey skies.
The twin-engine jet, designated NASA 520 and operated out of NASA’s Langley Research Center, was conducting methane mapping flights as part of the APMAC CONUS program, which aims to create high-resolution, regional-scale datasets of methane emissions.
The plane’s repetitive flight tracks, visible on public flight radar websites, fueled social media chatter from curious residents.
NASA says the mission uses specialized instruments — including MethaneAIR and HALO — to measure methane concentrations in targeted areas. The aircraft’s nadir portals allow scientists to collect atmospheric data over large swaths of land, including parts of the Appalachian Basin and the Washington, D.C./Baltimore urban region.
The symmetrical grid flights over New Jersey were part of a survey designed to repeatedly scan the same region over a two-day period, enabling researchers to tightly measure methane emission patterns and validate climate models.
Speculation on the ground and social media went from curious to bizarre, with many thinking the flight was ‘cloud seeding’ the atmosphere to produce rain.
However, the longrunning research is part of NASA’s overall climate impact projects.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Key Points
- NASA Gulfstream III research jet drew attention with grid-like flight pattern over New Jersey
- The mission is part of a methane mapping program to validate atmospheric emission models
- Specialized sensors on board repeatedly scan the same area over two days for high-resolution data
A science mission to track methane turned into an internet mystery when a NASA jet’s looping grid over New Jersey caught the public eye.