2008 Annual Report - NASA Airborne Science Program

Ikhana
NASA Dryden Flight
Research Center’s Ikhana
aircraft illustrated some
if its capabilities when it
flew fire-imaging missions
in the summer of 2008. NASA and the
U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest
Service partnered to obtain imagery of the
wildfires in response to requests from the
California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection, the California Governor’s Office
of Emergency Services and the National
Interagency Fire Center.
The Ikhana imaged almost 4,000 square
miles from Santa Barbara north to the
Oregon border during a flight on July 8. In
as little as 10 minutes, the flights provided
critical information about the location, size
and terrain around the fires to commanders
in the field. The Ikhana team obtains data
by using instrumentation developed at the
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
They combined the sensor imagery with
Internet-based mapping tools to provide fire
commanders on the ground with information
enabling them to develop strategies for
fighting the blazes. In support of the Fire
Missions, the Ikhana flew approximately 20
flight hours and helped to save both lives and
property.
The Ikhana is a civil variant of the Predator B
aircraft built by the San Diego-based General
Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. NASA
dubbed the aircraft Ikhana (ee-KAH-nah), a
Native American word from the Choctaw
Nation meaning intelligent, conscious or
aware.
Ikhana supports Earth science missions
and advanced aeronautical technology
development. The aircraft also is a testbed
to develop capabilities and technologies
to improve the utility of unmanned aerial
systems. Designed for long-endurance,
high-altitude flight, Ikhana was modified and
instrumented for use in multiple civil research
roles.
In 2008, the NASA Suborbital Science
Program within the Science Mission
Directorate was Ikhana’s primary customer,
using the aircraft for Earth science studies. A
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