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Meeting	ACGS Committee Meeting 98 - Williamsburg - October 2006
Agenda Location	4 GENERAL COMMITTEE TECHNICAL SESSION 4.2 Research Institutions, Industry and University Reports 4.2.2 Research Institutes and Companies 4.2.2.15 Aurora Flight Sciences
Title	Aurora Flight Sciences
Presenter	James Paduano
Available Downloads*	presentation
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Abstract	Aurora Flight Sciences has been a leader in unmanned aerial vehicle technology for research, defense and homeland security organizations for over 15 years, pioneering civilian and military UAV applications and continually pushing the limits of unmanned flight. Aurora’s business is divided into three primary sectors: science applications, tactical systems, and aerostructures manufacturing; and consists of four facilities: The Engineering Center & Corporate Headquarters in Manassa, VA, production facilities in Clarksburg, WV and Columbus/Starkville, MI, and the Research and Development Center (RDC) in Cambridge, MA. Aurora opened the RDC in January 2006 to further diversify its technology portfolio and integrate more innovative technologies into the company’s UAV products. Currently Aurora is executing six different UAV programs. Three of these are tactical vehicles aimed at organic operations from the small combat team level to the brigade level and above. The GoldenEye-50 and GoldenEye-80 are ducted fan UAVs with unique ‘free-wings’ that enable transition to efficient fixed-wing flight. The GoldenEye-80 is part of the Phase III OAV development program. The Exalibur is a fixed wing VTUAV with a 350 lb payload and significant high-speed dash capability. In the science applications area, Aurora is developing the Orion High Altitude, Long Loiter vehicle designed to fly for 100 hours and achieve 65,000 feet altitude using ultra-lightweight composites and liquid hydrogen engines derived from the Boeing HALE program. Also in the science arena, Aurora is the airframe manufacturer for NASA’s ARES program to fly a UAV in the Mars atmosphere. Aurora is solely responsible for the structural design and fabrication of these vehicles, uncluding two demonstrators (one of which flew at 100,000 feet in 2002) and three final flight airframes, to be launched in 2009. All of the vehicles described above are built by Aurora in their state-of-the art precision composite manufacturing facilities. In addition, Aurora is a key member in the team producing the Global Hawk airframe, currently producing all fuselage composite structures except radomes. Aurora assisted Northrop Grumman Corp. in evolving the design and manufacturing process and controls of the prototype Global Hawk design in the source inspection production environment. Aurora expanded production facilities and added composite rate production capability supporting first-article inspection (FAI), government source inspection of fracture critical components, and non-destruction inspection (NDI) including C-scan ultrasonic to B-2 class specifications. Aurora continues to be the only Small Business that is a “major supplier” in the Global Hawk program.