Helios To Attempt Record Altitude Flight

The Helios Prototype flying wing is shown over the Hawaiian island of Nihau during its first test flight on solar power from the U.S. Navy;s Pacific Missile Range Facility. Photo by Nick Galante

Edwards - August 9, 2001
A new world's altitude record for a non-rocket-powered aircraft could be achieved over Hawaii this weekend by the NASA-sponsored Helios Prototype solar-electric flying wing.

The flight from the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on the island of Kauai is tentatively set for Saturday, Aug. 11, with backup flight days scheduled for Aug. 12 and 13, and Aug. 16 through 19.

The Helios Prototype is believed capable of reaching altitudes in the vicinity of 100,000 feet under ideal conditions.

Engineers estimate the aircraft could reach at least 95,000 feet on this mission with 100,000 feet still a possibility, well above the current record of 85,068 feet for sustained horizontal flight set by a SR-71 in 1966.

Designed and built by AeroVironment, Inc., of Monrovia, Calif., the ultra-lightweight Helios Prototype's development is funded and managed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project.

The demonstration flight should validate the Helios' capability as a platform for high-altitude environmental monitoring and atmospheric sampling missions.

Memory Foam Mattress Review

SPACE MEDIA NETWORK PROMOTIONS
Solar Energy Solutions
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison ...

Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News

SPACEDAILY

Optics Center At NASA Marshall Makes King-Size Mold For Monitor Screens

Huntsville - Aug 9, 2001
It's not a giant penny. This king-size copper disk, manufactured at the Space Optics Manufacturing and Technology Center at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., is a special mold for making high-resolution monitor screens.

SPACE TRAVEL Eating Right For Long-Duration Space Missions A Culture Of Permissiveness Space Science Row Exposes NASA Budget Friction Japanese Tourist Operator Establishes Space Division	MARSDAILY Scouting The Red Planet - Part 7 Scouting The Red Planet - Part 6 Scouting The Red Planet - Part 5 Scouting The Red Planet - Part 8
LAUNCH PAD Ariane 5 Upper Stage Fails To Deliver Twin Birds To GEO	EARTH OBSERVATION Steady Growth for Land And Sea-Based EO Systems Market Orbital Restructures Orbimage Finances EarthWatch Rebrands Itself DigitalGlobe
OUTER PLANETS Out To The Horizon Of Sol Out To The Horizon Of Sol Nuclear Power On The Outer Rim The Medium Cut Of Space Exploration	STELLAR CHEMISTRY Ulysses Forecasts Weather At Sun's North Pole Ulysses Spacecraft Observes Surprising Reach Of Solar Activity Chandra Celebrates Two Years Orbit As Mission Doubled To 10 Years Gamma-Ray Bursts Find Black Holes Electromagnetic
MOON DAILY NASA Seeks Berth On India's Moon Mission	GPS NEWS System Would Harness GPS Signals To Study Environment Forum Considers Euro GPS System Delta 2 Lofts GPS Bird Delta 2 GPS Launch Scrubbed

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement