The Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), built by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. for NASA, is poised for flight at GA-ASI's flight test facility at El Mirage, California.

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully install a turboprop engine to the rear fuselage of NASA's Altair aircraft during final assembly operations.

Technicians at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif., carefully thread control lines through a bulkhead during engine installation on NASA's Altair aircraft.

Technician Dave Brown installs a drilling template during construction of the all-composite left wing of NASA's Altair aircraft at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif.

The Altair, a civil variant of the QM-9 Predator B unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), shows off its lengthy high-aspect ratio wing while on the ramp at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems' flight test facility at El Mirage, California.

Long wings, a V-tail with a ventral fin and a rear-mounted engine distinguish the Altair, an unmanned aerial vehicle built for NASA by General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

The long, narrow wings of NASA's Altair are designed to allow the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) to maintain long-duration flight at high altitudes.

The left wing of NASA's Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) rests in a jig during construction at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., (GA-ASI) facility at Adelanto, Calif.

The payload bay in the nose of NASA's Altair unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) will be able to carry up to 700 lbs. of sensors, imaging equipment and other instruments for Earth science missions.

The long wings of General Atomics Altair UAV are in evidence during a series of environmental monitoring missions for NOAA and NASA in the spring of 2005.

An ocean color senor, a passive microwave vertical sounder and an electro-optical sensor were mounted on the Altair UAV for the NOAA-NASA flight demonstration.

A pilot for General Atomics guides the Altair remotely operated aircraft from a ground control station using both visual and telemetered data.

A satellite antenna, electro-optical/infrared and ocean color sensors (front) were among payloads installed on the Altair for the NOAA-NASA flight demonstration

Terrence Hertz, Deputy Associate Administrator for Technology, NASA Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, at the NOAA/NASA Altair flight demo kickoff.

Equipped with a pod-mounted infrared imaging sensor, the Altair UAS aided fire mapping efforts over wildfires in central and southern California in late 2006.

A high-tech infrared imaging sensor in its underbelly pod, the Altair UAS flew repeated passes over the Esperanza fire to aid firefighting efforts.