Why NASA Is About To Fly Into Iceland’s Total Solar Eclipse
NASA and other international scientific organizations are preparing to fly aircraft into the path of the August 2026 total solar eclipse. These missions aim to capture high-resolution data of the sun's corona from above the Earth's atmosphere.
Why it matters
Airborne observation of solar eclipses provides unique opportunities for solar research that are impossible from the ground.
Science Why NASA Is About To Fly Into Iceland’s Total Solar Eclipse By Jamie Carter ,
Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. An award-winning reporter writing about stargazing and the night sky. Follow Author Aug 01, 2026, 03:00am EDT Topline Scientists are preparing an ambitious series of scientific missions for Aug. 12, 2026, when the moon’s narrow dark central shadow surges across Earth at 5,000 mph, creating a total solar eclipse for those beneath in Greenland, Iceland, Spain and a tiny part of Portugal. Among them are NASA, the Irish Air Corps and a host of small private aircraft craning for the best sight — and the best science. From aircraft to balloons, here’s everything you need to know about airborne science during the upcoming total solar eclipse.
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