Pathfinder Pathfinder Plus | |
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General information | |
Type | Remote controlled UAV |
Manufacturer | AeroVironment |
Primary user | NASA ERAST Program |
Number built | 1 |
History | |
Developed into | NASA Centurion NASA Helios |
The NASA Pathfinder and NASA Pathfinder Plus were the first two 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] They were developed further into the NASA Centurion and NASA Helios aircraft.