Manassas firm’s optionally piloted aircraft helps scientists locate great white sharks off Nantucket

Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, headquartered at Manassas Airport, has been giving aerial support to locate and track great white sharks in the Atlantic Ocean off Nantucket, Mass. The project, over a period of three weeks, was via a partnership with OCEARCH, a world-leading marine conservation organization.

Aurora donated the use of its Centaur, an optionally piloted aircraft equipped with infared sensor and video technology. The Manassas firm also donated a trained air vehicle operator who piloted the Centaur remotely from OCEARCH’s research ship. The sensor detected shark heat signatures and movements in the water below and displayed the information in real time on the Centaur’s ground control station aboard the ship, according to a news release.

Five great white sharks were tagged during the three-week expedition. OCEARCH called the experience a huge success in its ongoing scientific research on the North Atlantic Great White Shark, the news release said.

John Langford, Chairman and CEO of the Manassas firm, was quoted in the press release as saying, “The expedition allowed us to demonstrate the technological and operational capabilities of Centaur, and more importantly, the value and benefits of utilizing optionally-piloted aircraft for a variety of missions which now includes maritime.”

To learn more about Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation and the capabilities of the Centaur OPA, visit http://www.aurora.aero.