Douglas Isbell

Headquarters, Washington, DC May 1, 1996

(Phone: 202/358-1753)

Kristine Miller
Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., Manassas, VA
(Phone: 703/369-3633)

RELEASE: 96-85

ROBOTIC AIRCRAFT FOR EARTH SCIENCE SHIPPED FOR FIRST FLIGHT

TEST

A prototype robotic aircraft called Theseus, with

potentially unique abilities to support NASA's Mission to
Planet Earth enterprise, has been shipped to California to
be prepared for its first test flight.

Theseus was built for NASA under an innovative, $4.9

million fixed-price contract by Aurora Flight Sciences
Corp., Fairmont, WV, and its partners at two West Virginia
universities. The twin-engine, uncrewed vehicle has a 143-
foot wingspan, and is constructed largely from composite
materials. Powered by two 80-horsepower, turbocharged
piston engines that drive twin 9-foot diameter propellers,
Theseus is designed to fly autonomously at high altitudes,
with take off and landing under the active control of a
ground-based pilot viewing a video screen.

High-speed taxi testing of Theseus at NASA's Dryden

Flight Research Center, Edwards, CA, is scheduled to begin
in mid-May, with first flight by late June, according to
Kevin Niewoehner, NASA Theseus project manager.

NASA's Office of Mission to Planet Earth is currently

developing a long-term strategy for the use of robotic
research aircraft. If the demonstration flight of Theseus
is successful, it would become a candidate for participation
in this effort.

Work on Theseus began formally in June 1994, less than

two years ago. "Theseus represents a highly productive
partnership between the government, the private sector, and
the academic community, focused on rapid prototyping,
tightly controlled budgets and cost-sharing," Niewoehner
said.

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With the potential ability to carry 700 pounds of

science instruments to altitudes above 60,000 feet for
durations of greater than 24 hours, Theseus is intended to
support research in areas such as stratospheric ozone
depletion and the atmospheric effects of future high-speed
civil transport aircraft engines. Instruments carried
aboard Theseus also would be able to validate satellite-
based global environmental change measurements made by
NASA's planned Earth Observing System.

In addition to these scientific missions, Theseus-

derived vehicles are expected to have applications in
commercial remote sensing and as telecommunications relay
platforms, according to John Langford, president of Aurora
Flight Sciences. "We can envision a small fleet of vehicles
based on Theseus, with flexible payloads and flight times,"
Langford said.

Aurora Flight Sciences' partners in the development of

Theseus include West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV,
and Fairmont State College, Fairmont, WV.

EDITOR'S NOTE: An image to accompany this release is

available to media representatives by calling the Imaging
Branch on 202/358-1900. Photo numbers are:

Color B&W
96-HC-49 96-H-49

-end-

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