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Ikhana

Ikhana's AMS wildfire imaging components include (from left) the data system, scan head and enclosures for the data disks, GPS and power supplies and controls.

 
Photo Number: ED07-0210-3
Photo Date: September 13, 2007
 
Formats: 640x621 JPEG Image (243 KBytes)
1280x1242 JPEG Image (739 KBytes)
3000x2910 JPEG Image (3278 KBytes)
 
Photo
Description:
The instruments that make up the Ames Autonomous Module Scanner (AMS) that provided precise thermal-infrared imaging during the Western States Fire Mission in 2007 are detailed in this photo of the AMS as mounted on Ikhana's pod tray. The large foil-covered foam-insulated box at left covers the pressure vessel containing the data system computers and other electronics. The round white-topped assembly is the scan head, including the scan mirror, folded telescope, blackbody references, spectrometer and detectors. Two pressure boxes visible at the forward end of the tray contain the Applanix POS/AV precision navigation subsystem (black) and the power distributor including circuit breakers and ancillary wiring, scan motor controller and the blackbody reference temperature controller (blue).
 
Project
Description:
NASA and the U.S. Forest Service are testing newly developed technologies to improve wildfire imaging and mapping capabilities ion the Western States Fire Mission. From mid-August through September, 2007, NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center flew its remotely piloted Ikhana, a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator B unmanned aircraft system adapted to civil missions, in a series of missions to demonstrate the capabilities of sophisticated new thermal-infrared imaging sensors and real-time data communications equipment developed at NASA's Ames Research Center. The sensor is capable of peering through thick smoke and haze to record hot spots and the progression of wildfires over a lengthy period.

The first flight of the series Aug. 16, 2007 captured images of California wildfires, including the huge Zaca Fire in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. Other flights in the series were to take the aircraft to image wildfires burning in the Pacific Northwest during missions lasting more than 20 hours. The data is overlaid on Google Earth maps and downlinked in near-real time to the Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, and made available to fire incident commanders to assist them in allocating their fire-fighting resources.

 
NASA Photo by: Tony Landis
 
Keywords: Ikhana, Western States Fire Mission, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Predator B unmanned aircraft, thermal-infrared imaging sensors, real-time data communications equipment, Zaca Fire, Interagency Fire Center, Google Earth, AMS, scan head, scan mirror, folded telescope, blackbody references, spectrometer, detectors, Applanix POS/AV precision navigation subsystem
 


Last Modified: October 25, 2007
Responsible NASA Official: Marty Curry
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