{"id":248999,"date":"2025-07-10T05:10:56","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T19:10:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/?p=885669"},"modified":"2025-07-10T05:10:56","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T19:10:56","slug":"nasa-aircraft-sensor-technology-aid-in-texas-flood-recovery-efforts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=248999","title":{"rendered":"NASA Aircraft, Sensor Technology, Aid in Texas Flood Recovery Efforts"},"content":{"rendered":"
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3 min read<\/p>\n

Preparations for Next Moonwalk Simulations Underway (and Underwater)<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The high-altitude WB-57 aircraft departed July 8, 2025, from Ellington Field in Houston, Texas, headed to the Texas Hill Country. The aircraft will use the DyNAMITE (Day\/Night Airborne Motion Imager for Terrestrial Environments) sensor system to take video mosaics of the area to assist with the emergency response effort. <\/div>\n
Photo Credit: NASA\/Morgan Gridley<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In response to recent flooding near Kerrville, Texas, NASA deployed two aircraft to assist state and local authorities in ongoing recovery operations.<\/p>\n

The aircraft are part of the response from NASA\u2019s Disasters Response Coordination System, which is activated<\/a> to support emergency response for the flooding and is working closely with the Texas Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and the humanitarian groups Save the Children and GiveDirectly.<\/p>\n

Persistent cloud-cover has made it difficult to obtain clear satellite imagery, so the Disasters Program coordinated with NASA\u2019s Airborne Science Program at NASA\u2019s Johnson Space Flight Center in Houston to conduct a series of flights to gather observations of the impacted regions. NASA is sharing these data directly with emergency response teams to inform their search and rescue efforts and aid decision-making and resource allocation.<\/p>\n

The high-altitude WB-57 aircraft operated by NASA Johnson departed from Ellington Field on July 8 to conduct aerial surveys. The aircraft is equipped with the DyNAMITE<\/a> (Day\/Night Airborne Motion Imager for Terrestrial Environments) sensor.<\/p>\n

The DyNAMITE sensor views the Guadalupe River<\/a>[KA1]<\/a>\u00a0[RC2]<\/a>\u00a0 and several miles of the surrounding area, providing high-resolution imagery critical to assessing damage and supporting coordination of ground-based recovery efforts. This system enables real-time collection and analysis of data, enhancing situational awareness and accelerating emergency response times.<\/p>\n

In addition, the agency’s Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR<\/a>) is flying out of NASA\u2019s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, aboard a Gulfstream III. Managed by the agency\u2019s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California, the UAVSAR team is planning to collect observations over the Guadalupe, San Gabriel, and Colorado river basins Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Because UAVSAR can penetrate vegetation to spot water that optical sensors are unable to detect, the team\u2019s goal is to characterize the extent of flooding to help with understanding the amount of damage within communities.<\/p>\n

Flights are being coordinated with FEMA, the Texas Division of Emergency Management, and local responders to ensure data is quickly delivered to those making decisions on the ground. Imagery collected will be sent to NASA\u2019s Disaster Response Coordination System.<\/p>\n

Additionally, the Disasters Program, which is part of NASA’s Earth Science Division, is working to produce maps and data to assess the location and severity of flooding in the region and damage to buildings and infrastructure. These data are being shared on the NASA Disasters Mapping Portal<\/a> as they become available.<\/p>\n

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