News

The Weather Channel reports on the IMPACTS mission, including its airborne science platforms and instruments. The story features interviews with ER-2 Pilot James G. “Coach” Nelson, IMPACTS Principal Investigator Lynn McMurdie, and Mission Scientists Chip Helms (CRS), Ed Nowottnick (CPL), David Robles (CoSSIR), and Douglas Mach (LIP).

A NASA research field campaign launched in 2020 has flown scientists into winter storms across Wisconsin and the U.S. to answer lingering questions about winter storms. The project ended Feb. 28. We speak with an atmospheric scientist who led the project

A NASA research group called IMPACTS has been flying into winter storms with the hopes of learning more about the weather phenomenon. IMPACTS principal investigator Lynn McMurdie joined FOX Weather on Sunday to explain the group’s mission.

High up in some ice-filled clouds, sitting inside an airplane loaded with science instruments, Christian Nairy looked at pictures flashing on his computer screen. This high-altitude slideshow is displaying real-time images of cloud particles being sampled by a device out on the plane's wing — and some of the ice crystals looked like perfect little snowflakes.

Fox 5 Atlanta reports that NASA scientists are taking a close look at winter storms by using a Cold War era ER-2, a derivative of the Cold War-era Lockheed U-2. The team is based out of Dobbins Air Reserve for through next month.

Giant balloons are popping up in the news these days as mysterious objects float across portions of the United States and Canada. Meanwhile, large balloons are drifting across parts of eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota as well, though these balloons weren’t launched from a shadowy location or with a murky purpose. Instead, they rose from a parking lot next to UND’s Clifford Hall — and with the purpose of gathering data for NASA.

I grew up flying in planes. I’m comfortable in them. But there’s one part of flying I’ve never gotten used to: turbulence. It’s common on commercial flights, so over the years I’ve learned a few tips and tricks on how to stay calm when my mind seems to take off at a sprint.

Jen Moore shares her adventures as an IMPACTS instrument operator in this enjoyable short video clip.  Jen is a member of the Microphysics Probe Team onboard the NASA P-3 aircraft.

Chip Helms makes news in the latest edition of the Greenbelt News Review.  See page 2 for news item.

Located just north of Atlanta, Georgia, Dobbins Air Reserve Base is usually home to C-130 transport planes. But for the next few weeks, the base will host an unusual guest: a white-painted jet that can fly for more than half a day at the edge of space.

We are currently planning our third IMPACTS Data User Workshop that will be held virtually on 26-27 October 2022 from 12:00-2:30 ET. These open data workshops enable our IMPACTS team to present important information to you (our potential IMPACTS data users) to help with your analysis of the data. For more information and to register, please click in the link below.

As the snowstorm headed through New York on February 24, one professor at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York spent the hours leading up to it preparing his students to head right into the storm.

NASA’s Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Storms (IMPACTS) mission, which began in January and is planned to wrap up at the end of February, has seen upwards of 10 flights so far.

Imagine the feeling of flying on an airplane. Smooth sailing, clear skies, not a cloud in sight. It’s a relaxing ride that many take for work or recreational travel. Now imagine flying through clouds, with the turbulence of different intensities. While some sink and hold onto their seats, others view it like a rollercoaster ride with their adrenaline pumping. Christian Nairy and Jennifer Moore know a thing or two about that.

Goddard Media Studios reports on IMPACTS - watch their video chronicles of our February 3rd science flight!

PI Lynn McMurdie and pilots Rod Turbak and Greg “Coach” Nelson answer questions about IMPACT. Watch the YouTube video here.

https://espo.nasa.gov/content/local_Raleigh_TV_followed_up_on_Popular_Science_IMPACTS_article_with_their_own_piece_on

Andrew Janiszeski and Troy Zaremba blow up a weather balloon in a dark hotel lobby. The weather was calm last night when they drove into Plymouth, Massachusetts, but this morning a blizzard is raging outside. Snow is piling up in the hotel parking lot, wind gusts are near 70mph, and the power is out – but they have a job to do.

During the worst of the blizzard, a group of Stony Brook University students and their professors braved the high winds and pummeling snowfall for the greater good - to improve winter storm forecasting.

While millions of people hunkered down below, a small team of NASA-funded scientists flew over and into the storm to make measurements and better understand the evolution of winter storms. The multi-year Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Storms (IMPACTS) mission is the first comprehensive study of snowstorms across the Eastern United States in nearly 30 years.

As Marylanders buckle down for the winter storm this weekend, scientists at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. are sending planes directly into the storm.The team of storm-chasing scientists is flying two NASA planes equipped with scientific instruments to investigate how winter storms form and develop.One plane will fly above the storm and the other will fly within the clouds.

The team is tracking storms across the Midwest and Eastern United States in two NASA planes equipped with scientific instruments to help understand the inner workings of winter storms as they form and develop. The team is flying two aircraft to investigate winter storms, one above the storm and one within the clouds.

Scientists repeatedly check the weather forecasts as they prepare aircraft for flight and perform last-minute checks on science instruments. There’s a large winter storm rolling in, but that’s exactly what these storm-chasing scientists are hoping for.

It takes two planes to discover more about snowstorms.

NASA is known for getting creative with its airplanes even producing models with no windows. But perhaps, its most impressive planes are the ones that can fly into snowstorms.

These types of planes, according to NASA, are used to report the weather and they are part of the space agency's Investigation of Microphysics and Precipitation for Atlantic Coast-Threatening Storms (IMPACTS) mission based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Scientists repeatedly check weather forecasts as they prepare for flight of aircraft and make last-minute checks of scientific equipment. Big winter storms are rushing in, which is exactly what scientists chasing these storms want. The team is tracking midwestern and eastern US storms on two equipped NASA planes. Scientific instruments Helps you understand how Winter storm As they are formed and developed.

The team is tracking storms across the Midwest and Eastern United States in two NASA planes equipped with scientific instruments to help understand the inner workings of winter storms as they form and develop. The team is flying two aircraft to investigate winter storms, one above the storm and one within the clouds.

Scientists repeatedly check the weather forecasts as they prepare aircraft for flight and perform last-minute checks on science instruments. There’s a large winter storm rolling in, but that’s exactly what these storm-chasing scientists are hoping for.