Developmed by Aurora Flight Science and Boeing, the Orion, High Altitude, Long Loiter (HALL) Unmanned Aerial System is designed for stratospheric missions.
The Orion will be able to cruise at an altitude of 65,000 ft for about 100 hours, powered by reciprocating engines consuming liquid hydrogen fuel. With a gross takeoff weight of 7,000 lbs (3.175 tons) HALL will be able to carry payloads weighing about 400 lbs (181kg).
The U.S. Army/SMDC is supporting a team lead by Aurora and Boeing as a strategic partner, developing two Orion HALL platforms, to demonstrate the new technology. First flight is expected by 2009. Aurora and Boeing have also teamed since 2004 on a Boeing-led concept definition study of a twin-engine, larger unmanned platform designed for missions over a week long, carrying multi-sensor payloads weighing up to 2,000 lbs. The HALL demonstrator will have a wing span of 132 ft (40.2 meter) and length of 57 ft (17.4 m’).
