Michael Braukus<br />Headquarters, Washington June 9, 2003<br />(Phone: 202/358-1979)<br /><br /><br />Alan Brown<br />Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif.<br />(Phone: 661/276-2665)<br /><br /><br />RELEASE: 03-193<br /><br /><br />NASA'S NEWEST UNMANNED AIRCRAFT MAKES SUCCESSFUL FIRST <br />FLIGHT<br /><br /><br /> A milestone in the development of high-altitude, long-<br />endurance, remotely operated aircraft occurred today with <br />the successful flight of NASA's Altair. Altair is the first <br />unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to feature triple-redundant <br />flight systems and avionics for increased reliability. <br /><br /><br />The slender-wing aircraft lifted off the runway at General <br />Atomics Aeronautical Systems' Inc. (GA-ASI) flight test <br />facility at El Mirage, Calif. The purpose of the historic <br />first flight was to evaluate the UAV's basic airworthiness <br />and flight controls. After the successful test flight, <br />Altair glided to a landing on the remote desert runway. The <br />entire flight was conducted at low altitude within a <br />relatively short range of the El Mirage flight test <br />facility.<br /><br /><br />"This is what we've been waiting for," said Glenn Hamilton, <br />Altair project manager at NASA's Dryden Flight Research <br />Center (DFRC), Edwards, Calif. "Now we can move forward with <br />getting UAVs into the national airspace and conducting <br />research," he said. <br /><br /><br />Thomas J. Cassidy, president and chief executive officer of <br />San Diego-based GA-ASI, echoed Hamilton's comments. <br />"Altair's first flight is a culmination of 10 years of <br />experience in building reliable unmanned aircraft based on a <br />common design philosophy," Cassidy said. "I am very proud of <br />our design, manufacturing and flight-readiness teams for <br />their dedication to a high performance level of excellence." <br />Built to performance specifications established by NASA's <br />Earth Science Enterprise, Altair is an extended-wing version <br />of the MQ-9 Predator B military UAV being developed under a <br />partnership with GA-ASI. Altair is one of several UAVs <br />designed for civil applications that have been developed or <br />matured under the Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor <br />Technology (ERAST) program at DFRC. <br /><br /><br />After initial airworthiness test flights, Altair will serve <br />as the avionics test aircraft for the production version of <br />the MQ-9 before being transferred to NASA. At DFRC, Altair <br />will first be used to evaluate various new control <br />communications and collision-avoidance technologies that are <br />critical to enabling UAVs to fly safely in national <br />airspace.<br /><br /><br />Eventually NASA will use Altair for a variety of <br />environmental science missions, such as volcanic <br />observation, forest fire monitoring and atmospheric <br />sampling. The UAV may be ideal for missions that are often <br />too dangerous, difficult or lengthy for manned aircraft. <br />UAVs are uniquely positioned to perform long missions that <br />have repetitive routines.<br /><br /><br />Altair is expected to be the first UAV to meet Federal <br />Aviation Administration requirements to operate from <br />conventional airports, with piloted aircraft, in the <br />national airspace. In addition to triple-redundant avionics, <br />Altair is configured with a fault-tolerant, dual-<br />architecture flight control system. The UAV will be equipped <br />with an automated collision-avoidance system and an air <br />traffic control voice relay. The relay allows air-traffic <br />controllers to talk to ground-based Altair pilots through <br />the aircraft.<br /><br /><br />Command and control of the Altair, as well as research data <br />gathered by the UAV, will be transmitted through an "over <br />the horizon" satellite link. The link will also allow <br />scientists to receive research information as soon as Altair <br />obtains it. <br /><br /><br />Altair has been designed to fly continuously for up to 32 <br />hours. It can reach an altitude of approximately 52,000 feet <br />and has a maximum range of about 4,200 miles. Altair can <br />carry up to 750 pounds of sensors, radar, communications and <br />imaging equipment in its forward fuselage. The Altair is 34 <br />feet long, with a wingspan of 86 feet, 22 feet longer than <br />Predator B. A 700 horsepower, rear-mounted turboprop engine <br />powers Altair with a three-blade controllable-pitch <br />propeller. NASA and GA-ASI are jointly funding development <br />of the Altair and Predator B prototypes under the ERAST <br />program. GA-ASI built Altair's predecessor, the Altus 2. <br /><br /><br />For video footage of the test flight, call 661/276-2665. <br />Photos are available at: <br /><br /><br />http://www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/Altair_PredatorB/inde<br />x.html<br /><br /><br />For information about NASA and aerospace programs on the <br />Internet, visit:<br /><br /><br />http://www.nasa.gov