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 3rd, 2004
“Land, Sea, Air & Space…Together”
John P. [email protected]
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-3965
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 lifeTo 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
Safety/Security
AirspaceCapability
Cost
VehicleCapability
Environment
Subsonic Transports
Supersonic Aircraft
Personal Air Vehicles
Uninhabited Air Vehicles
Rotorcraft Extreme STOL
Subsonic Transports
Supersonic Aircraft
Personal Air Vehicles
Uninhabited Air Vehicles
Rotorcraft Extreme STOL
Aviation Safety & Security
Airspace Systems
Vehicle Systems
Aviation Safety & SecurityAviation Safety & Security
Airspace SystemsAirspace Systems
Vehicle SystemsVehicle Systems
7
Current State of Science UAV Development
Helios (RFC/LH2) 50,000 – 100,000 feet 30 KIASRPV 14 days to 6 months 5 crew$10M per vehicle 100 kg HALE
Global Hawk 40,000-60,000 feet 250 KIASAutonomous 36 hours (large crew)$30M per vehicle 1000 kg
Proteus 40,000-60,000 feet 200 KIASOPV 24 hours 2+ crew$10M per vehicle 1000 kg HALE
Predator B/Altair 40,000-52,000 feet 170 KIASRPV 32 hours 2+ crew$4M per vehicle 400 kg MALE
Aerosonde-Class 200 – 20,000 feet 35 KIASRPV - Autonomous 20-30 hours 2-3 crew$75K per vehicle 2-5 kg (LALE)
8
Examples of Other Mission-Unique UAV Developments
High Altitude Airship 50,000 – 70,000 feet 30-50 KIASRPV 30 days to 6 months 5 crew$40M per vehicle 10,000 kg HALE
Power Beaming 10-1000 feet 15 KIASRPV 24 hours 1 crew$5 K per vehicle 0.1 kg LALE
Golden-eye UAR 100-3,000 feet 140 KIASAutonomous 1-4 hours 2+ crew$TBD per vehicle 20 kg LASE
Micro-UAV 200 - 2500 feet 35 KIASRPV 1-2 hours 1 crew$10 K per vehicle 0.1 kg LASE
9
0.1 day
1.0 day
10 day
100 day
Alti
tude
(kf
t)
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
2.0 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
200kg1
1000kg4
30kg2
200kg 3
50 kg
10,000kg6
7
10
9
17
14
150kg13
11
128 2000kg5
10,000kg15
3000kg19
200kg16
Current HALE UAV
Platforms
Performance Objective #4:Heavy-Lifter
FY20
Performance Objective #1:
SOLEO FY09
150kg21
150kg18
150kg20
200kg
200kg
Performance Objective #3:
Global RangerFY14
Performance Objective #2:
Global ObserverFY12
SSMF“Low & Slow”
10
Current NASA UAV Program Elements
HALE ROA Platform
Development
PlatformCapabilities
• Design tools• Storm Tracker• Global Observer• Global Ranger• Heavy Lifter
HALE ROAAccess to
the NAS
AirspaceCapabilities• Routine access to the NAS• Detect, See & Avoid sensors• Contingency management• HALE ROA Certification Standards
OptionallyPiloted
Vehicles
New PlatformOperations
• UAV transitional capabilities
• Integrated science campaign elements
• Multi-agency business models
NationalSecurity
Partnerships
SpiralDevelopment• DHS/Coast Guard• OSD/Sensor Demo• DARPA/J-UCAS - X-45A/Spiral 0 - X-45C/Spiral 1 - Common Operating System - Autonomous Refueling
Aeronautics Research Earth Science DoD/DHS
Earth ScienceMission
Capabilities
MissionCapabilities
• 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 30-60 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 =
250 w*hr/kg @ 10 kw output- Goal: 20 kw thin film solar cells ( > 15%);Solid Oxide Fuel Cells =
1200 w*hr/kg @ 1,000 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 sensors @ 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 > 1.0- 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