Skip Top nav bar link group topnav end piece go to business section go to education section go to history section go to gallery section go to news section go to organizations section go to research section go to search engine go to site index topnav end piece
NASA Meatball NASA Dryden Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, Predator B in flight

Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, Altair on runway. 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.

Photo Number: ED03-0078-2
Photo Date: March 7, 2003

Formats: 524x480 JPEG Image (87 KBytes)
1117x1023 JPEG Image (497 KBytes)
3000x2750 JPEG Image (4,227 KBytes)

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.


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.


Photo by: GA-ASI/Alan Waide

Keywords:

Altair, unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., GA-ASI, QM-9, Predator B, U.S. Air Force


Last Modified: March 07, 2003
Responsible NASA Official: Marty Curry
Curator: PAO Webmasters

NASA Website Privacy Statement