Last Flight of the Helios Prototype, 2003
Wreckage of the Helios Prototype solar-electric aircraft floats in the Pacific Ocean near the Hawaiian island of Kauai shortly after the aircraft became uncontrollable and broke up during a test flight on June 26, 2003. About 75 percent of the wreckage was recovered, but the prototype fuel cell system that was to have provided power at night during the planned long-endurance flight demonstration sank in mile-deep water and could not be recovered. The Helios Prototype achieved the first of the two goals by reaching an unofficial world-record altitude of 96,863 feet and sustaining flight above 96,000 feet for more than 40 minutes. The Helios Prototype is a remotely piloted flying wing aircraft developed under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. The two primary goals of the Helios Prototype development are to demonstrate sustained flight at an altitude near 100,000 feet and flying non-stop for at least 24 hours, including at least 14 hours above 50,000 feet.
Size: 4650px × 3030px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 2000s, 26, 2003, 21st, 26th, administration, aerial, aerodynamic, aeronautical, aeronautics, aerospace, aircraft, airplane, america, american, aviation, century, debris, drone, energy, environmental, erast, experimental, flight, flying, hawaii, helios, june, nasa, national, plane, program, project, prototype, research, science, sensor, solar-electric, solar-powered, space, states, system, technological, technology, test, testing, uas, uav, ultra-lightweight, united, unmanned, usa, vehicle, wing, wreckage
