The skies above New Orleans will be under the watchful eye of the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) as they perform a radiological surveillance mission from yesterday through Thursday, in anticipation of the Super Bowl slated for Sunday. The DOE/NNSA announced that this move is to ensure the public health and safety for one of the year's biggest sporting events.
New Orleanians can expect to see a low-flying Leonardo AW-139 helicopter, a bird not hunting for prey but searching for baselines in background radiation, this aircraft, equipped with the latest radiation detection equipment, is part of NNSA's Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST) Aerial Measuring System (AMS) and will buzz the skies but only during times when the sun is high, when the city is beneath the watch of daylight. These flights are routine, part of a wider national security and emergency preparedness strategy that clocked nearly 1,000 flight hours in 2024 alone, a practiced gesture in a dance that has been, for over six decades, an insignia of safekeeping by the NNSA.
Local denizens, typically unphased by the humdrum overhead may, this time, take note and seek assurances; thus, NNSA preemptively shoulders the role of informant, assuring that the helicopter and its mission should not paint the skies with concern. The intent of these NNSA’s surveys is to establish a background radiation baseline which informs the playbook for swift action should an unexpected radiological event unfold, allowing these unseen guardians to respond with precision, a comforting thought for some, as the nation turns its eyes to New Orleans for the Super Bowl.
For those inclined to learn more about the aerial radiation assessment, NNSA has provided further enlightenment through video footage and information on their website, shedding light on procedures and technology that remain, for many, a work behind curtains, operations that weave through civilian life seamlessly yet fundamentally, an infrastructure of protection that hums softly, ensuring the possibility of safely gathered masses cheering for their champions on the field.
