Dryden Home > Collections > Photo Home > Ikhana > Photo # ED07-0038-067 |
NASA's Ikhana unmanned science demonstration aircraft, a civil variant of General Atomics' Predator B, lifts off from Grey Butte airfield in California. |
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Photo Number: | ED07-0038-067 |
Photo Date: | March 5, 2007 |
Formats: |
640x621 JPEG Image (158 KBytes) 1280x1242 JPEG Image (453 KBytes) 3000x2910 JPEG Image (2108 KBytes) |
Photo Description: |
NASA's Ikhana unmanned science demonstration aircraft, a civil variant of General Atomics' Predator B, lifts off from Grey Butte airfield in Southern California. |
Project Description: |
A Predator B unmanned aircraft system has joined the inventory of research aircraft at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards, Calif. Built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. of San Diego, NASA took possession of the aircraft during the fall of 2006. The aircraft has been given the Choctaw Nation name "Ikhana" (pronounced ee-kah-nah), which means intelligent. Designed for long-endurance, high-altitude flight, Ikhana will be flown primarily on Earth science missions under the Earth Science Capability Demonstrations project at NASA Dryden. It will also be used for advanced aircraft systems research and technology development. As part of the Ikhana/Predator B acquisition, NASA also purchased a ground control station and satellite communication system for control of the aircraft and transmittal of research data. The ground control station is in a mobile trailer and, in addition to the pilot's "cockpit," includes computer workstations for scientists and engineers. All of the aircraft systems are mobile, making Ikhana ideal for remote studies. |
NASA Photo by: | Tony Landis |
Keywords: | Ikhana, Predator B unmanned aircraft, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc, long-endurance, high-altitude, Earth Science Capability Demonstrations project |
Dryden Home > Collections > Photo Home > Ikhana > Photo # ED07-0038-067 |
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Last Modified: October 25, 2007 |