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Thu, Jul 03, 2003

Helios Flapped, Then Snapped

The loss of the world's highest-flying winged vehicle, NASA's Helios, a week ago still has project members wondering.

A helicopter chase ship, we have learned, reported seeing the wings start to oscillate, and that motion grew to a "flap," while the 247-foot wing was at only 3000 feet. Shortly thereafter, the huge, record-setting, yet necessarily flimsy machine gave up its constituent parts and fell into a mile-deep section of the Pacific.

Most of the machine, including hydrogen tanks (the testing of alternate-power fuel cells was underway), has been recovered. The most-expensive components -- $10 million or so of solar cells -- are either at the ocean bottom, or ruined: salt water makes them useless.

FMI: www.dfrc.nasa.gov

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