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NASA Meatball NASA Dryden Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, Predator B in flight

Unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, Altair on runway. The Altair, a civil variant of the MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), shows off its lengthy high-aspect ratio wing while on the ramp at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' flight test facility at El Mirage, California.

Photo Number: ED03-0078-5
Photo Date: March 7, 2003

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917x1280 JPEG Image (491 KBytes)
2400x3350 JPEG Image (4,026 KBytes)

Photo
Description:

The Altair, a civil variant of the MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), shows off its lengthy high-aspect ratio wing while on the ramp at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' flight test facility at El Mirage, California. Altair is designed to demonstrate emerging UAV technologies and fly NASA earth science missions.


Project
Description:

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., is developing the Altair, a modified version of its MQ-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, MQ-9, Predator B, U.S. Air Force


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