NASA research craft stationed at Dobbins

Chart Riggall, Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
·1 min read

Jan. 12—Dobbins Air Reserve Base will play host in the coming months to a high-altitude NASA research craft.

The ER-2 aircraft will be flying out of the base until March 5, Dobbins announced this week.

The ER-2 plane is a variant of the famous U-2 spy plane developed by Lockheed in the 1950s. It is used for civilian research missions, and operates at altitudes between 20,000 and 70,000 feet, per NASA.

"These flights are sponsored by the Earth Science Division of NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington. The purpose of this mission is to track severe weather to measure properties such as wind, temperature, precipitation, humidity and aerosol profiles," the base said in a news release.

The base said while it will try to restrict flights to the hours between sunrise and sunset, but missions may occur during night time hours and on weekends.