73 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
73 lines
3.1 KiB
Plaintext
SUBJECT: Aurora ?? FILE: UFO81
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I think I may have just solved the Aurora question. Attend the
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following press release.
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Gary
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_________________________________________________________________________
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Alice Ann Toole
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Aurora Flight Sciences Corp., Manassas, Va.
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^^^^^^
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(Phone: 703//369-3633)
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RELEASE: 92-227
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HIGH-FLYING PERSEUS RESEARCH AIRCRAFT READY FOR ROLLOUT
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NASA Administrator Daniel S. Goldin will make the keynote
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speech when a high-flying, unpiloted NASA atmospheric research
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aircraft called Perseus is unveiled in Manassas, Va., on Dec. 18.
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When Perseus starts to fly science missions in 1994, it
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will gather data to improve knowledge on the atmosphere at very
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high altitudes, including the possible effect of exhaust
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emissions from next-generation supersonic airliners.
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"Perseus is going to be a valuable new tool for many areas
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of atmospheric research, especially understanding the processes
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that control stratospheric ozone levels, so NASA and industry can
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produce future supersonic transports that are both
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environmentally safe and economically competitive."
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Perseus, designed and built for NASA by Aurora Flight
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Sciences Corp., Manassas, Va., is the first aircraft designed
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specifically for atmospheric science. It will carry up to 110
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pounds (50 kilograms) of instruments to a maximum altitude of
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82,000 feet (25 kilometers).
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Much of Perseus' technology derives from sport aviation
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and the record-breaking Daedalus human-powered aircmodeled on the
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Daedalus design, which had excellent aerodynamic performance.
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The plane is made of lightweight composite materials, much like
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sailplanes or gliders.
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Perseus' engine is based on the 4-cycle, 4-cylinder Rotax
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engine that powers ultralight aircraft around the world, but is
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highly modified to burn a mixture of gasoline and oxygen diluted
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by recirculated exhaust gas. Aurora developed the engine under a
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$500,000 NASA Small Business InnovationResearch grant.
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Perseus also is breaking new ground in other technologies
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like the onboard computer which will guide many of its flights
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using preprogrammed flight plans. The autopilot will keep track
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of the plane's location via signals from the Global Positioning
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System constellation of navigation satellites.
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NASA has ordered two Perseus aircraft from Aurora Flight
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Sciences. Successful research missions by the planes could lead
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to more general use of advanced unpiloted aircraft for Earth
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science studies.
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"Perseus is not only going to do science to improve the
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environment, but also is building an important new industry for
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the future," said Aurora Flight Sciences President John Langford.
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"It is key to a new generation of in situ measurement platforms
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that will lead to discoveries in areas such as atmospheric
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science, global warming and the forecasting of severe storms."
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**********************************************
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* THE U.F.O. BBS - http://www.ufobbs.com/ufo *
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********************************************** |