Objectives
The overall objective of the project is to show that sailplane flight well into the middle stratosphere--in the vicinity of 90,000 feet--can be done safely, repeatedly and economically. A sailplane is an ideal platform for several scientific and technological research endeavors:
- A sailplane can maneuver precisely at very high altitudes to traverse or remain relatively stationary in a desired portion of the wave structure, as the structure is determined in flight.
- A sailplane can remain on station for several hours to record the evolution of the wave.
- A sailplane with modern, compact, low power instrumentation makes possible the recording of air mass motion precisely, as well as the collection of samples for later ground analysis or analysis in flight.
- A sailplane has high strength and great controllability. It is ideal for penetrating breaking waves to determine the turbulence structure and ensuing flight dynamics.
- A sailplane at 90,000 feet altitude flies in approximately the same aerodynamic regime--Mach and Reynolds numbers--to be experienced by a moderate size aircraft flying near the surface of Mars.
- A sailplane may carry aerodynamic instrumentation to measure the boundary layer behavior in this regime better than can be done in any wind tunnel.
Read more about this topic: Perlan Project
Famous quotes containing the word objectives:
“Along the journey we commonly forget its goal. Almost every vocation is chosen and entered upon as a means to a purpose but is ultimately continued as a final purpose in itself. Forgetting our objectives is the most frequent stupidity in which we indulge ourselves.”
—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)