Dryden Home > Collections > Photo Home > Altair/Predator B > Photo # ED03-0078-2 |
The long, narrow wings of NASA's Altair are designed to allow the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to maintain long-duration flight at high altitudes. | ||
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Photo Number: | ED03-0078-2 | |
Photo Date: | March 7, 2003 | |
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Formats: | 524x480 JPEG Image (87 KBytes) 1117x1023 JPEG Image (497 KBytes) 3000x2750 JPEG Image (4,227 KBytes) |
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Photo Description: |
The long, narrow wings of NASA's Altair are designed to allow the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to maintain long-duration flight at high altitudes. Developed for NASA by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems as a civil variant of the firm’s military QM-9 Predator B UAV, Altair will serve as a UAV technology demonstrator and an aerial platform for NASA earth science missions. |
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Project Description: |
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair, a modified version of its QM-9 Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. NASA plans to use the Altair as a technology demonstrator to validate a variety of command and control technologies for UAVs, as well as an aerial platform for a variety of Earth science missions. The Altair is designed to carry an 700-lb. payload of scientific instruments and imaging equipment for as long as 32 hours at up to 52,000 feet altitude. Eleven-foot extensions on each wing give the Altair an overall wingspan of 86 feet with an aspect ratio of 23. It is powered by a 700-hp. rear-mounted TPE-331-10 turboprop engine, driving a three-blade propeller. Following successful completion of basic airworthiness flight tests in 2003, Altair is scheduled to be acquired by NASA for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, collision-avoidance and other technologies required to enable UAVs to operate safely and routinely with other aircraft in the national airspace. |
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Photo by: | GA-ASI/Alan Waide | |
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Keywords: |
Altair, unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., GA-ASI, QM-9, Predator B, U.S. Air Force |
Dryden Home > Collections > Photo Home > Altair/Predator B > Photo # ED03-0078-2 |
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Last Modified: March 07, 2003 |