The UAV is a modified Predator B obtained by the space agency from its manufacturer, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, three years ago. The aircraft, designed for long-endurance, high-altitude flight, has been modified and instrumented for use in multiple civil research roles, including firefighting. In the past, firefighters used imaging satellites that required precious hours to pin-point a respective fire and then transmit back the images. But Popular Science reports that as the height of the fire season approaches, the U.S. Forest Service plans to use Ikhana as part of its emergency backup to supplant satellite images and scan through smoke to send live information back to crews on the ground. UAV flights will be coordinated with the FAA to ensure the safety of other aircraft.
NASA developed the Predator to use a variety of atmospheric and remote sensing instruments, including duplicates of those sensors on orbiting satellites. Flights can last up to 30 hours. The Ikhana has a wingspan of 66 feet and is 36 feet long. More than 400 pounds of sensors can be carried internally and over 2,000 pounds in external under-wing pods. Ikhana is powered by a Honeywell TPE 331-10T turbine engine and is capable of reaching altitudes above 40,000 feet. The Ikhana is the first production Predator B equipped with a digital electronic engine controller developed by Honeywell and GA-ASI that will make Ikhana five to 10-percent more fuel efficient than earlier versions of the aircraft.
