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General Atomics' uninhabited Altair flew a NOAA/NASA coastal mapping, mammal observation and marine monitoring mission off the California coast in late 2005. |
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| Photo Number: |
ED05-0234-13 |
| Photo Date: |
November 16, 2005 |
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| Formats: |
432x640 JPEG Image (120 KBytes)
863x1280 JPEG Image (362 KBytes)
2022x3000 JPEG Image (1579 KBytes)
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Photo
Description: |
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and NASA joined forces to conduct a series of environmental science demonstration flights with the Altair unmanned aerial vehicle in mid-November 2005. During a flight over the Channel Islands off the Southern California coast, sensors on the aircraft gathered ocean color and atmospheric chemistry measurements and observed marine mammals and their environment. The flight also conducted low-tide coastal mapping and NOAA law enforcement surveillance of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. An earlier mission the same week saw the Altair collect similar data during an 18.5-hour flight off the coast of northern and central California and several hundred miles out to sea. NASA coordinated use of Altair with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and provided mission management expertise to NOAA. |
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Project
Description: |
NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center has partnered with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) to demonstrate technologies that will expand the capabilities of remotely operated, uninhabited aircraft to perform high-altitude earth science missions. To accomplish the task, GA-ASI is developing an enlarged version of its Predator reconnaissance aircraft, the Predator BŪ, including an extended-wingspan Altair version for NASA, to meet these requirements. |
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| NASA Photo by: |
Carla Thomas |
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| Keywords: |
Altair, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, coastal mapping, mammal observation, marine monitoring, Channel Islands, California coast, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary |
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