The Flight of Helios
Credit: Carla Thomas, courtesy
DFRC,
NASA
Explanation:
Solar-powered,
remotely piloted, and flying at about 25 miles per hour,
NASA's
Helios
aircraft, is
pictured
above at 10,000 feet in skies northwest of Kauai, Hawaii on August 13.
This ultralight propeller driven aircraft, essentially a flying wing
with 14 electric engines, was built by
AeroVironment Inc.
Covered with solar cells, Helios' impressive 247 foot wide wing
exceeds the wing span and even overall length of a
Boeing
747 jet airliner.
Climbing during daylight hours, the prototype aircraft
ultimately
reached an altitude just short of 100,000 feet,
breaking records for non-rocket powered
flight.
Helios is intended as a technology demonstrator, but
regular, long-duration flights at that altitude
could be used for
environmental monitoring
missions and, communications relays.
In the extremely thin air 100,000 feet above Earth's surface, the flight
of Helios also
simulates
conditions for
winged
flight in the
atmosphere
of Mars.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
