# NASA's FarmFlux Mission Begins Low-Altitude Research Flights Over Colorado Farmland

> NASA launched the first series of its FarmFlux mission flights in October 2026, deploying a specialized aircraft over Colorado to measure agricultural emissions.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-23T19:39:59.447102Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/nasa-s-farmflux-mission-begins-low-altitude-research-flights-over-colorado-farmland-982759a5

NASA's FarmFlux mission conducted low-altitude research flights over farmland near Greeley, Colorado, from October 1 to October 20, 2026, using a Dynamic Aviation A200 aircraft to measure gaseous and particulate emissions from animal feeding operations [13]. These flights represent the first series for the FarmFlux mission, which aims to improve understanding of agricultural emissions [7][13].

Agricultural emissions are a significant and understudied component of Earth's land and atmosphere systems, impacting air quality, climate, and ecosystems [1][8]. The data gathered from these flights will help quantify these emissions and inform future climate policy and sustainable farming practices [4][8]. Understanding these interactions is a primary objective for NASA's Earth Venture Suborbital mission [2][8].

## What the records show

The FarmFlux mission is a collaborative effort, jointly led by NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, Colorado State University, and Boston University [1][3][7][9]. The mission utilizes a Dynamic Aviation A200 aircraft equipped with more than a dozen sensors [1][3]. These instruments are designed to measure various pollutants, including ozone, methane, ammonia, and particulates, as they rise from croplands and livestock farms [1][3][7]. The measurements specifically target emissions from animal feeding operations [1][3][6]. The mission's overarching goal is to quantify the magnitude and near-source fate of these emissions and characterize their human and environmental controls [8]. Glenn Wolfe of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center leads the mission [9].

## The timeline

The initial phase of the FarmFlux mission involved low-altitude research flights over farmland near Greeley, Colorado, starting Thursday, October 1, and concluding Tuesday, October 20, 2026 [13]. Following these initial flights, a NASA Dynamic Aviation A200 aircraft is scheduled to conduct further low-flying research over farmland near Amarillo, Texas, from Thursday, October 22, through Monday, November 9, 2026 [1][3][6][10][11][12]. The FarmFlux mission also plans additional low-altitude research flights with a NASA P-3 Orion aircraft for the March to July 2027 growing season, focusing on croplands in the U.S. Midwest and California's Central Valley [1][7]. The overall campaign, which will measure agricultural emissions across the United States, was launched with a budget of $15 million in October 2026 [7].

## What changed and for whom

The FarmFlux mission aims to provide direct, empirical measurements of agricultural emissions, moving beyond prior reliance on rough estimates [6][8]. This shift in data collection methods could significantly change the understanding of agriculture's impact on the atmosphere for climate scientists and researchers [6][8]. The improved data is intended to inform climate policy decisions and support the development of sustainable farming practices, potentially affecting agricultural producers and environmental regulators [4][8]. By closing

## Evidence cited
1. NASA to Conduct Low-Altitude Flights Over Texas Farmland (www.nasa.gov) — https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-to-conduct-low-altitude-flights-over-texas-farmland/
2. FarmFlux Announcements (nasa.gov) — https://espo.nasa.gov/farmflux/announcements
3. NASA Conducts Emission Research Flights in Texas (thecharlottetribune.com) — https://thecharlottetribune.com/2026/10/21/nasa-conducts-emission-research-flights-in-texas/
4. NASA Aircraft to Monitor Agricultural Emissions in Texas | FarmFlux Research Mission Report 375 (youtube.com) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9N3L9W5j7w
5. NASA To Measure Farm Fumes (youtube.com) — https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-tS_0sFf2E
6. NASA FarmFlux flights will measure agricultural emissions over Texas farmland (unclespace.com) — https://unclespace.com/nasa-farmflux-flights-will-measure-agricultural-emissions-over-texas-farmland/
7. Log into Facebook (facebook.com) — https://www.facebook.com/AerospaceJournal/posts/pfbid0x3rM2P3S9EaEaYn5L8W3C5G7E9K4N9R6Z2J5J7Q6F7Y6L7Q6L7J6K6M6R5C5N5A5
8. FarmFlux Science Objectives (nasa.gov) — https://espo.nasa.gov/farmflux/science_objectives
9. FarmFlux: Studying the Impact of Agriculture on Earth’s Atmosphere (nasa.gov) — https://science.nasa.gov/missions/earth-system-science-pathfinder-essp/farmflux-studying-the-impact-of-agriculture-on-earths-atmosphere/
10. NASA To Conduct Low-Altitude Flights Over Texas Farmland (wireunwired.com) — https://wireunwired.com/nasa-to-conduct-low-altitude-flights-over-texas-farmland/
11. NASA to Conduct Low-Altitude Flights Over Texas Farmland (cosmosweek.com) — https://cosmosweek.com/nasa-to-conduct-low-altitude-flights-over-texas-farmland/
12. NASA to Conduct Low-Altitude Flights Over Texas Farmland | MultiKhabar (multikhabar.com) — https://multikhabar.com/nasa-to-conduct-low-altitude-flights-over-texas-farmland/
13. NASA Aircraft to Make Low-Altitude Research Flights Over Colorado - NASA (nasa.gov) — https://www.nasa.gov/general/nasa-aircraft-to-make-low-altitude-research-flights-over-colorado/