Small

1
Remotely Piloted Stratospheric Aircraft Aurora
Flight Sciences Manassas, VA
Small Business Innovation Research

• ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• Development of a liquid oxygen/gasoline powered,
  closed-cycle engine
• Design and fabrication of high-temperature heat
  exchanger for exhaust gas recycling
• Extensive flight program for Perseus and Theseus
  aircraft
• COMMERCIALIZATION
• On the basis of Phase II results, Aurora was
  awarded two contracts by NASA-Ames (NAS2-13481
  AND NAS2-13842) to develop and build two Perseus
  A aircraft with high altitude (up to 55 thousand
  feet) capabilities by dint of a closed cycle
  LOX/gasoline engine
• Successful operation of Perseus A aircraft
  resulted in additional funding (ERAST Cooperative
  Agreements) for development and construction of a
  Perseus B aircraft - a turbocharged version of
  Perseus A
• Additional NASA funds plus additional SBIR
  contracts from the National Science Foundation
  were given to Aurora for development and
  construction of Theseus, a more advanced version
  of Perseus aircraft with twin engines and with
  three times the payload of Perseus
• Total post-Phase II NASA funding for development,
  construction, and operations of Perseus and
  Theseus aircraft amounts to 28.9 million, making
  it the largest NASA Phase III on record. In
  addition to the revenue, the project has also
  generated new jobs for 24 people

Perseus Aircraft

• GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
• As part of the Environmental Research Aircraft
  and Sensor Technology (ERAST) Program, the
  Perseus and Theseus aircraft are being used in
  the study of ozone depletion, the effects of jet
  exhaust from high-altitude supersonic aircraft on
  the atmosphere, and basic research into
  atmospheric chemistry
• Hurricane tracking and analyis through in-situ
  measurements and through the dispensing of
  dropwindsondes from high altitude
• Development of a high-altitude, long-range
  aircraft to act as a military
• telecommunications platform or reconnaissance
  vehicle

Ames Research Center SS 2-008 -
Contacts Aurora - Bill Bryant (703)
331-1050 NASA - Jenny Baer-Reidhart (805)
258-3689
1989 Phase 2, Contract No. NAS2-13255