NASA Tests New Plane Powered by Laser Beam
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NASA has built and flown a remote-controlled plane powered from the ground by the beam of an invisible laser.
In indoor flights conducted last month at a NASA center in Alabama, the plane flew lap after lap, gliding to a landing once the laser beam was turned off, the agency said Thursday.
While in flight, the laser tracked the 11-ounce, 5-foot-wingspan plane, striking the photovoltaic cells that powered the tiny motor that turned its lone propeller.
Scientists envision flying the planes on long-duration flights to monitor the environment. The planes also could be used for surveillance or to provide communications links.
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