Dryden Home > Collections > Photo Home > Altair/Predator B > Photo # EC02-0188-18 |
Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully install a turboprop engine to the rear fuselage of NASA's Altair aircraft during final assembly operations. | ||
|
||
Photo Number: | EC02-0188-18 | |
Photo Date: | July 10, 2002 | |
|
||
Formats: | 524x480 JPEG Image (107 KBytes) 1117x1023 JPEG Image (537 KBytes) 3000x2750 JPEG Image (4,617 KBytes) |
|
|
||
Photo Description: |
Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully install a turboprop engine to the rear fuselage of NASA's Altair aircraft during final assembly operations. |
|
|
||
Project Description: |
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair version of its Predator B unmanned reconnaissance aircraft 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 demonstrate the capability to perform 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 have been added to each wing, giving 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. Altair is scheduled to begin flight tests in the fourth quarter of 2002, and be acquired by NASA following successful completion of basic airworthiness tests in early 2003 for evaluation of over-the-horizon control, detect, see and avoid and other technologies required to allow UAVs to operate safely with other aircraft in the national airspace. |
|
|
||
Photo by: | Tom Tschida | |
|
||
Fact Sheet | Altair/Predator B | |
|
||
Keywords: |
Altair, Predator B, Altair/Predator B, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, technology demonstrator testbed aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, UAV, Earth science missions, photo, image, jpeg, jpg |
Dryden Home > Collections > Photo Home > Altair/Predator B > Photo # EC02-0188-18 |
|
|
Business | Education | History | Gallery | News Room | Organizations | Research | Search | Site Index
|
|
Last Modified: August 16, 2002 |