NASA Centurion

Centurion
Centurion takes off from Dryden in December, 1998
Role Remote controlled UAV
Manufacturer AeroVironment
First flight November 10, 1998
Primary user NASA ERAST Program
Number built 1
Developed from NASA Pathfinder
Developed into NASA Helios

The NASA Centurion was the third aircraft developed as part of an evolutionary series of solar- and fuel-cell-system-powered unmanned aerial vehicles. AeroVironment, Inc. developed the vehicles under NASA's Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology (ERAST) program. They were built to develop the technologies that would allow long-term, high-altitude aircraft to serve as atmospheric satellites, to perform atmospheric research tasks as well as serve as communications platforms.[1] It was developed from the NASA Pathfinder Plus aircraft and was developed into the NASA Helios.

  1. ^ "NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Helios Prototype". NASA. 13 August 2015. Archived from the original on 2023-04-19.