The uniquely shaped Proteus high-altitude aircraft soared over California's Mojave Desert during a July 1999 flight.
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The uniquely shaped Proteus high-altitude aircraft soared over California’s Mojave Desert during a July 1999 flight. The aircraft set two milestones on its 16th flight in February, 1999 when it reached an altitude of 50,000 ft while carrying an operating science imaging payload, the Airborne Real-Time Imaging System (ARTIS) developed by HyperSpectral Sciences, Inc. (HSI). The small ARTIS camera, developed by HSI under NASA’s ERAST project, was operated remotely by the flight crew, taking visual and near-infrared photos of the California desert near the Mojave Airport. The system provided near-real time images to a ground station.July 26, 1999NASA Photo / Patrick Wright› Proteus Project Description