X-Press Editor Dryden's Airborne Science Directorate assisted NASA, United States and international scientists in August and September with a study of African smog and its role in global change. Dryden's role also included tracking the movement of air pollution in the southern part of the continent. The southern African atmosphere is vulnerable to air pollution due to a persistent high-pressure system.
African smog is a mixture of smoke from industry, mining, agricultural burning and other sources.
At this altitude, the aircraft provides a stable platform for electronic sensor development. The ER-2 flies so high that its sensors mimic or validate sensors onboard orbiting satellites, including some on NASA's Terra satellite. A typical flight plan had the aircraft crossing several Southern African countries' borders.