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NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration
Dryden Flight Research Center
P.O. Box 273
Edwards, California 93523
Phone   (661) 276-3449
FAX (661) 276-3566 
                        __
June 24, 2003

Alan Brown
NASA Dryden Flight Research Center
(661) 276-2665
alan.brown{at}dfrc.nasa.gov

NOTE TO EDITORS 03-33

HELIOS STATUS UPDATE:

SECOND HELIOS FUEL CELL CHECKOUT FLIGHT SET FOR THURSDAY

The second in a series of checkout flights leading up to a planned
long-endurance flight demonstration by the solar-electric Helios
Prototype flying wing is planned to lift off Thursday morning, June
26, at the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) on the
Hawaiian island of Kaua'i. 

The flight could mark the first time that a large aircraft is powered
by electricity derived from an advanced experimental fuel cell
system.

Takeoff is nominally scheduled for about 8:30 a.m. on the full-day
shakedown flight, which could last up to 20 hours before Helios
returns to the Navy facility on the west shore of Kaua'i. The final
schedule and "go - no go" decision will be made at an all-hands crew
brief late Tuesday afternoon. Should weather or technical issues
force a postponement, Friday and Saturday June 27-28 are backup
flight days.

John Del Frate, Helios project manager at NASA's Dryden Flight
Research Center, said the primary objective of the second check
flight is to verify the in-flight operation of the fuel cell system,
including stable operation of the system and its compressor at 50,000
feet altitude and at a rated power of 18.5 kW. A rapid shutdown of
the fuel cell system and a restart at night on battery power is also
planned. 

During the first check flight June 7, the Helios Prototype was aloft
for about 15 hours at altitudes up to 52,000 feet while engineers
checked out modifications and upgrades made to the aircraft over the
past two years. The fuel cell system was not brought on-line due to
some leakage in the coolant system and compressed air lines that feed
the fuel cell while the Helios is aloft. 

The overall goal of the flight series is to demonstrate the ability
of the Helios Prototype to fly a long-endurance mission of about 40
hours, including at least 14 hours above 50,000 feet altitude. The
Helios flies on electrical power derived from solar arrays during the
day and from the experimental fuel cell system that combines oxygen
from the atmosphere with hydrogen stored on the aircraft at night.

-0-

A new photo from the Helios Prototype checkout flight on June 7 is
now posted on the NASA Dryden web site photo gallery at: 

http:// www.dfrc.nasa.gov/Gallery/Photo/Helios/HTML/ED03-0152-32.html

Video footage is also available for television news and documentary
broadcast. For photo prints or video dubs, please call
(661) 276-2665.

- NASA -

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