Pentagon's Mysterious 'Vomit Comet' Is Going to NASA

It was hidden from the world, painted an unusual green and sparked conspiracy theories. Now, the space agency is taking over the Air Force's classified aircraft and turning it into the most extreme experiment on the road to the Moon.

The United States space agency, NASA, is set to turn a mysterious classified Boeing 737-700 belonging to the Air Force into its new flying laboratory. The aircraft, once nicknamed the vomit comet because of the sharp maneuvers that cause passengers to feel weightless, and intensely nauseous, will serve as a critical test platform for the Artemis program.

The aircraft in question, apparently N712JM, was part of a secret military program and was previously photographed covered in a strange green coating and fitted with unusual sensors. Although the Pentagon never officially revealed the plane's purpose, its existence is not in doubt. The aircraft was first documented in 2020 after being acquired by the U.S. Air Force. Since then, it has been photographed several times by aviation enthusiasts and aircraft spotters at various airports across the United States, and even appeared in civilian flight-tracking databases.

The published images exposed an unusual-looking aircraft, first painted in Boeing's green primer and carrying test equipment and unusual sensors. The lack of official information, along with its documented appearances in the field, made it one of the most mysterious aircraft in the American fleet, and it has since drawn considerable interest from aviation researchers and flight-tracking communities.

Now, NASA is hiring a specialized company to see whether this "ghost plane" can be adapted for its new mission, simulating lunar gravity. Using parabolic flights, a series of steep climbs and free-fall dives, the aircraft will allow astronauts to test the new spacesuits and equipment intended for the Moon in conditions of one-sixth of Earth's gravity. These tests are essential to ensure that astronauts will be able to bend, kneel and operate tools safely on the lunar surface.

The aircraft is expected to undergo maintenance, internal structural changes and a repainting with NASA's logo, with the goal of completing the project by October 2026. While the plane itself will not reach the Moon, it will undoubtedly be one of the most important steps on the way back there.