Article Posted on : - Dec 14, 2010

Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system sits atop a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft, a modified Boeing 747. A Boeing photo

ST. LOUIS (BNS): A test flight of Boeing Phantom Ray unmanned airborne system sitting atop a NASA Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) was conducted at Lambert International Airport.

The 50-minute flight carried out on Monday was in preparation for Phantom Ray's upcoming transport on the SCA, a modified Boeing 747, to the Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

"This is exciting not just because it's the first time that an aircraft other than the space shuttle has flown on the SCA, but also because it puts Phantom Ray that much closer to making its first flight," said Craig Brown, Phantom Ray program manager for Boeing.

Once Phantom Ray arrives at Dryden, it will undergo ground and high-speed taxi tests to prepare for its first flight in early 2011, a Boeing release said.

The SCA flights with Phantom Ray are being conducted under a Boeing-funded, commercial Space Act Agreement with NASA.