NASA Centurion
| Centurion | |
|---|---|
| Centurion takes off from Dryden in December, 1998 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Remote controlled UAV |
| Manufacturer | AeroVironment |
| Primary user | NASA ERAST Program |
| Number built | 1 |
| History | |
| First flight | November 10, 1998 |
| 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. It was developed from the NASA Pathfinder Plus aircraft and was developed into the NASA Helios.