1 Towards an Integrated Global Observation System NASA/NOAA/DOE Collaboration for Utilization of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Climate Change and Global Weather Research August 3 rd, 2004 “Land, Sea, Air & Space… Together” John P. NASA Dryden Flight Research Center (661)

2 Presentation Objectives Provide a framework for reference on the current state of UAV capabilities and technology investment strategies Suggest grounds rules and assumptions relevant to the scope and desired outcome of this workshop

3

4 Our success is measured by the extent to which our results are used by others to improve the quality of life and enable exploration and scientific knowledge To pioneer and validate high-payoff aeronautical technologies To improve the quality of life To enable exploration and discovery To extend the benefits of our innovation throughout society. Aeronautics Research Mission

5 UAV Technology Investments: Relevance to NASA Mission Supports four Agency Strategic Objectives: Objective 1.1: Understand how Earth is changing, better predict change, and understand the consequences for life on Earth Objective 1.2: Expand and accelerate the realization of economic and societal benefits from Earth science, information, and technology. Objective 3.2: Enhance the Nation’s security through aeronautical partnerships with DOD and other Government agencies Objective 10.5: Create novel aerospace concepts to support Earth and space science mission

6 Aeronautics Research Comprises Three Integrated Programs

7 Current State of Science UAV Development Helios (RFC/LH2) 50,000 – 100,000 feet30 KIAS RPV14 days to 6 months5 crew $10M per vehicle 100 kgHALE Global Hawk 40,000-60,000 feet250 KIAS Autonomous 36 hours(large crew) $30M per vehicle1000 kg Proteus 40,000-60,000 feet200 KIAS OPV 24 hours2+ crew $10M per vehicle1000 kgHALE Predator B/Altair 40,000-52,000 feet170 KIAS RPV 32 hours2+ crew $4M per vehicle400 kgMALE Aerosonde-Class 200 – 20,000 feet35 KIAS RPV - Autonomous hours2-3 crew $75K per vehicle 2-5 kg(LALE)

8 Examples of Other Mission-Unique UAV Developments High Altitude Airship 50,000 – 70,000 feet30-50 KIAS RPV 30 days to 6 months5 crew $40M per vehicle 10,000 kgHALE Power Beaming feet15 KIAS RPV 24 hours1 crew $5 K per vehicle0.1 kgLALE Golden-eye UAR 100-3,000 feet140 KIAS Autonomous 1-4 hours2+ crew $TBD per vehicle20 kgLASE Micro-UAV feet35 KIAS RPV 1-2 hours1 crew $10 K per vehicle 0.1 kgLASE

9 0.1 day 1.0 day 10 day 100 day Altitude (kft) day 5.0 day 20 day 50 day 0.2 day 0.5 day HALE UAV Science Platform Capabilities 1000 kg 1 kg 1000 kg 200 kg Current ROA Capability 300 kg Endurance 4 kg Piloted Aircraft Capability 200kg kg 4 30kg 2 200kg 3 50 kg 10,000kg kg kg 5 10,000kg kg kg 16 Current HALE UAV Platforms Performance Objective #4: Heavy-Lifter FY20 Performance Objective #1: SOLEO FY09 150kg kg kg kg Performance Objective #3: Global Ranger FY14 Performance Objective #2: Global Observer FY12 SSMF “Low & Slow”

10 Current NASA UAV Program Elements HALE ROA Platform Development Platform Capabilities Design tools Storm Tracker Global Observer Global Ranger Heavy Lifter HALE ROA Access to the NAS Airspace Capabilities Routine access to the NAS Detect, See & Avoid sensors Contingency management HALE ROA Certification Standards Optionally Piloted Vehicles New Platform Operations UAV transitional capabilities Integrated science campaign elements Multi-agency business models National Security Partnerships Spiral Development DHS/Coast Guard OSD/Sensor Demo DARPA/J-UCAS - X-45A/Spiral 0 - X-45C/Spiral 1 - Common Operating System - Autonomous Refueling Aeronautics ResearchEarth ScienceDoD/DHS Earth Science Mission Capabilities Mission Capabilities Precision Trajectory Precision Formations Global OTH & iNET Mission Demos - Altair - Global Hawk - Proteus - Others

11 Key Enabling Technologies: HALE UAV’s Intelligent Mission Management - SOA: Remotely piloted contingency management with lost-link waypoint navigation - Goal: Intelligent Decision Executive Architecture for autonomous, multi-ship, tactical group plan, resource allocation and contingency management for flight safety and mission assurance Routine Access to the International Airspace - SOA: Ad hoc Certificates of Authorization with day lead-time - Goal: Same day “file & fly”, initially for HALE UAV’s, by establishing equivalent levels of safety for manned flight; includes Detect, See & Avoid, Over-The-Horizon, and System Reliability technologies Endurance: Electric Propulsion - SOA: 10 kw solar array panels (  = 18%); Regenerative Fuel Cells = kw output - Goal: 20 kw thin film solar cells (  > 15%);Solid Oxide Fuel Cells = ,000 kw; Ruggedized: All Weather Flight Operations - SOA: High altitude operations and clear weather launch & recovery - Goal: All weather launch, recovery and mission operation capabilities using intelligent anti-icing with electrically hardened, hail tolerant composite airframes

12 Key Enabling Technologies (con’t): Daughtership Launch, Deploy and Recovery Ops - SOA: Expendable dropsonde 0.5 kg per dropsonde - Goal: HALE UAV mothership launch and recovery of smart daughtership dropsondes Miniaturized UAV Flight Systems and Science Sensors - SOA: Discrete PC-104 class boards: FCC, INS, GPS, and Comm - Goal: Integrated single-board MEMS-class flight systems; embedded MEMS atmospheric chemistry sensors Aerodynamics:Efficient low Reynolds number airframes - SOA: Re > 1e6 with fixed-geometry wing loading > Goal: Re <<0.5e6 with deployable wing and airframe components Precision Trajectories and Formations - SOA: Integrated Differential GPS/INS for waypoint navigation and landing systems for two aircraft formations - Goal: Precision trajectories and formations for multi-ship formations and swarms

13 Future Collaboration Opportunity Consider unconstrained science observation requirements –Mission-unique platform capabilities –Assume airspace issues will be resolved –Assume reliability and affordability issues will be resolved Think in terms of complete observation systems: –UAV-enabled and/or tailored science instruments –Integrated global networks of observation platforms Land, sea, air, and space –Integrated Information Systems for research and operations Provide ammunition on why NASA should invest in “climate and weather” UAV’s instead of other competing priorities: –Homeland Security –Planetary flight vehicles –UAV forest fire prevention, detection, and suppression –Precision agriculture Identify why DOE/NOAA/NASA collaboration is essential

14 Back-ups