Ikhana-Unmanned Aircraft System Western States Fire Missions

In 2006, NASA Dryden Flight Research Center,
Edwards, Calif., obtained a civil version of the General
Atomics MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system and
modified it for research purposes. Proposed missions
included support of Earth science research, development
of advanced aeronautical technology, and
improving the utility of unmanned aerial systems in
general. The project team named the aircraft Ikhana – a
Native American Choctaw word meaning intelligent,
conscious, or aware – in order to best represent NASA
research goals.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration