A research aircraft will fly low over farmland in Colorado this October. The NASA mission, called FarmFlux, studies gases rising from farms into the air. More than a dozen sensors will measure methane, ammonia, ozone, and fine dust. Scientists want to understand how farming activities affect the air in Earth's atmosphere. Emissions from agriculture remain an important but little-studied part of this picture.
Three organizations lead the project together, including NASA and two universities. The flights over Colorado are only the first step of the mission. Later this year, the aircraft will study farmland around Amarillo, Texas. In 2027, a larger NASA plane will fly over the Midwest and California. That final stage will focus mainly on fields where crops are grown.