NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center and the Northrop Grumman Corporation have reached an agreement that will enable NASA's Science Mission Directorate to conduct Earth science research with the Northrop Grumman-developed RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft system.
Under a Space Act Agreement signed April 30, NASA and Northrop Grumman will bring to flight in 2009 two pre-production Global Hawk aircraft that were recently transferred to NASA. Northrop Grumman will share in their use to conduct its own flight demonstrations for expanded markets, missions and airborne capabilities, including integration of unmanned aircraft systems into the national airspace.
The two Global Hawk aircraft, among the first seven built during the original Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency-sponsored Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program, were transferred to NASA Dryden from the U.S. Air Force in September 2007. NASA acquired the two aircraft for research activities supporting its Airborne Science Program.
"This innovative partnership not only provides for the activation of the Global Hawk flight operations at NASA Dryden, but also sets the stage for an exciting future of collaborative science missions and technology experiments," said Kevin L. Petersen, NASA Dryden director. "The capabilities of this platform are unique and will provide NASA and Northrop Grumman some exceptional opportunities to advance technology and science through flight."
As the world's first fully autonomous, high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aircraft system, Global Hawk can fly up to 65,000 feet for more than 31 hours at a time and has a range of 11,000 nautical miles.
To date, Global Hawks have flown more than 22,000 hours in military service with the Air Force.
Photo by Tony Landis. (Click image to enlarge)
