Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

The Flight Of Helios

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for December 20, 2003 is “The Flight Of Helios,” an image. It is credited to Photo Credit: Carla Thomas, courtesy DFRC , NASA. The original explanation runs about 148 words.

The Flight Of Helios
Credit: Photo Credit: Carla Thomas, courtesy DFRC , NASA Shown from science.nasa.gov. Not hosted by OpenOrbit.

From the explanation

“An example of solar-powered flight, NASA’s Helios aircraft flew almost one hundred years after the Wright brothers’ historic flight on December 17, 1903. Pictured here at 10,000 feet in in skies northwest of Kauai, Hawaii in August 2001, the remotely piloted Helios is traveling at about 25 miles per hour.”

— APOD editors, December 20, 2003

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
December 20, 2003
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Photo Credit: Carla Thomas, courtesy DFRC , NASA
Copyright
No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length
About 148 words

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Source

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.