NASA and the EcoDemonstator are conducting an exciting experiment to shed light on the environmental effects of aviation contrails (short for condensation trails).
On five- to six-hour test flights, a NASA DC-8 follows behind the EcoDemonstrator, measuring and comparing emissions from both regular jet fuel and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF).
This joint effort is making significant strides in understanding and mitigating the atmospheric impact of contrails. The research is also part of a broader effort to make aviation more sustainable and provide important data on SAF.