This Northrop Grumman Global Hawk Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration unmanned aircraft featuring NASA livery is one of two transferred from the US Air Force to NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, California.

Initial research activities beginning in 2009 will support NASA's Airborne Science programme.

 

 

Global-Hawk-nasa 
 © NASA/Tony Landis
UAV Global Hawk in NASA livery rests on the ramp at Dryden Flight Research Center

The two Global Hawks were the first and sixth aircraft built under the original development programme sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and were made available to NASA when the Air Force had no further need for them.

Source: FlightGlobal.com