Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in flight over the Esperanza Fire, a wildfire that occurred in October 2006 near Palm Springs, California, USA. U

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Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) in flight over the Esperanza Fire, a wildfire that occurred in October 2006 near Palm Springs, California, USA. Using an infrared imaging sensor in its underbelly pod, the Altair UAV flew repeatedly over the Esperanza Fire to aid firefighting efforts. The Altair is a 26-metre wingspan unarmed variant designed for NASA of the General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper (Predator B) UAV. The Altair first flew in June 2003 and can fly for 32 hours. It is being used by NASA to develop a range of applications under its Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) project. Photographed on 25 October 2006.

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Size: 3311px × 2640px
Photo credit: © NASA/General Atomics Aeronautical Systems/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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