Astronomy Picture of the Day ·

A Flight of Helios

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for July 24, 2011 is “A Flight of Helios,” an image. It is credited to Image Credit: Carla Thomas, courtesy DFRC , NASA. The original explanation runs about 152 words.

A Flight of Helios
Credit: Image 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 3,000 meters in in skies northwest of Kauai , Hawaii , USA in August 2001, the remotely piloted Helios is traveling at about 40 kilometers per hour.”

— APOD editors, July 24, 2011

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date
July 24, 2011
Type
Image
Credit
Credit: Image 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 152 words

All of July 2011 → · 2011 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

On this day: July 24 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

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.