Jacques van Oene
April 14th 05, 06:44 PM
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661/276-3449
FAX 661/276-3566
<table>
Beth Hagenauer
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
661/276-7960
Madelyn Appelbaum
NOAA Headquarters
202/482-4858 Kimberly Kasitz
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
858/455-2294MEDIA ADVISORY: 05-18
MEDIA INVITED TO WITNESS UAV EARTH SCIENCE FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
in cooperation with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
(GA-ASI), will be conducting a series of flights near the Channel
Islands off the Southern California coast this spring to evaluate the
ability of remotely operated aircraft to conduct a variety of Earth
Science missions. News media representatives are invited to learn
more during a VIP/Media Day on Wednesday, April 20, at GA-ASI's Gray
Butte Flight Operation Facility east of Palmdale, Calif.
The goal of the Altair Integrated System Flight Demonstration Project
is to evaluate the operational capabilities of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) for science missions related to oceanic and
atmospheric research, climate research, marine sanctuary mapping and
enforcement, nautical charting, and fisheries assessment and
enforcement. GA-ASI's remotely piloted Altair, whose development was
funded in part by NASA, will carry a payload of instruments for
measuring ocean color, atmospheric composition and temperature, and
surface imaging during flights in late April and early May. Six
flights totaling about 53 hours flight time will be flown at
altitudes up to 45,000 feet and durations up to 20 hours.
The VIP/Media Day April 20 at GA-ASI's Gray Butte facility is
scheduled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. News media will have the
opportunity to view the Altair in flight and witness real-time
imagery being downlinked to the ground command and control center.
Journalists will also be able to observe the sensor payload and
interview the scientists and engineers who developed this
demonstration.
Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator; Thomas J. Cassidy Jr., President
and CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.; and Terrence
Hertz, Deputy Associate Administrator for Technology of NASA's
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, will make remarks and be
available for interviews.
Security deadline: Media representatives planning to attend must be
U.S. citizens and should provide their driver's license number and
proof of media affiliation to Rebe Philip at GA-ASI via e-mail to
or by FAX to 858/455-4247 by April 15. For
further information, phone 858/455-2694.
Directions: Media traveling from the San Diego, Riverside and San
Bernardino areas should travel north on I-15, exit on Hwy. 138 and
head west. Turn right on Sheep Creek Road, left on El Mirage Road,
left on 240th Street East and then left again on Avenue R-8 to the
GA-ASI facility at 25500 East Avenue R-8. From Los Angeles and the
Antelope Valley, media should travel north on Hwy. 14 and exit at
Palmdale Blvd. Take Palmdale Blvd. east about 24 miles to 240th
Street East, then turn right onto 240th Street East, and left on
Avenue R-8 to the facility. Media planning to attend should allow
ample driving time to the location, which is about 26 miles east of
central Palmdale.
Additional information is available at: http://uav.noaa.gov/index.html
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone 661/276-3449
FAX 661/276-3566
<table>
Beth Hagenauer
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
661/276-7960
Madelyn Appelbaum
NOAA Headquarters
202/482-4858 Kimberly Kasitz
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.
858/455-2294MEDIA ADVISORY: 05-18
MEDIA INVITED TO WITNESS UAV EARTH SCIENCE FLIGHT DEMONSTRATION
NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA),
in cooperation with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.
(GA-ASI), will be conducting a series of flights near the Channel
Islands off the Southern California coast this spring to evaluate the
ability of remotely operated aircraft to conduct a variety of Earth
Science missions. News media representatives are invited to learn
more during a VIP/Media Day on Wednesday, April 20, at GA-ASI's Gray
Butte Flight Operation Facility east of Palmdale, Calif.
The goal of the Altair Integrated System Flight Demonstration Project
is to evaluate the operational capabilities of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) for science missions related to oceanic and
atmospheric research, climate research, marine sanctuary mapping and
enforcement, nautical charting, and fisheries assessment and
enforcement. GA-ASI's remotely piloted Altair, whose development was
funded in part by NASA, will carry a payload of instruments for
measuring ocean color, atmospheric composition and temperature, and
surface imaging during flights in late April and early May. Six
flights totaling about 53 hours flight time will be flown at
altitudes up to 45,000 feet and durations up to 20 hours.
The VIP/Media Day April 20 at GA-ASI's Gray Butte facility is
scheduled for 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. News media will have the
opportunity to view the Altair in flight and witness real-time
imagery being downlinked to the ground command and control center.
Journalists will also be able to observe the sensor payload and
interview the scientists and engineers who developed this
demonstration.
Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., Undersecretary of Commerce for Oceans and
Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator; Thomas J. Cassidy Jr., President
and CEO of General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.; and Terrence
Hertz, Deputy Associate Administrator for Technology of NASA's
Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, will make remarks and be
available for interviews.
Security deadline: Media representatives planning to attend must be
U.S. citizens and should provide their driver's license number and
proof of media affiliation to Rebe Philip at GA-ASI via e-mail to
or by FAX to 858/455-4247 by April 15. For
further information, phone 858/455-2694.
Directions: Media traveling from the San Diego, Riverside and San
Bernardino areas should travel north on I-15, exit on Hwy. 138 and
head west. Turn right on Sheep Creek Road, left on El Mirage Road,
left on 240th Street East and then left again on Avenue R-8 to the
GA-ASI facility at 25500 East Avenue R-8. From Los Angeles and the
Antelope Valley, media should travel north on Hwy. 14 and exit at
Palmdale Blvd. Take Palmdale Blvd. east about 24 miles to 240th
Street East, then turn right onto 240th Street East, and left on
Avenue R-8 to the facility. Media planning to attend should allow
ample driving time to the location, which is about 26 miles east of
central Palmdale.
Additional information is available at: http://uav.noaa.gov/index.html
-end-
--
--------------
Jacques :-)
www.spacepatches.info