NASA Drone's Sensors Battle California Wildfires

An anonymous reader writes "California is burning, but according to this article advanced sensors on NASA's Ikhana unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) can detect exact temperatures (within half a degree) through the smoke, enabling the drone to spot for the firefighters battling the more than 300 wildfires. NASA's Ikhana is the same aircraft as the Predator, except it's being used here to save lives."

Comments

Same as Predator

[Mononoke]

NASA's Ikhana is the same aircraft as the Predator, except it's being used here to save lives."

The Predator's primary function is to save lives.

Re:Same as Predator

[pete-classic]

I thought its primary function was to gather intelligence, which hopefully has the effect of saving American, allied, and non-combatant's lives. But it does that by letting us kill enemy combatants better, which seems different on its face from what this article talks about.

-Peter

Re:Same as Predator

[Jeff DeMaagd]

The Predator's primary function is to save lives.

That may be the end result in both cases, but the primary function of Predator is intelligence gathering, and it can lob missiles too.

And let's not kid ourselves. I think it was Norman Shwartzkopf that said the purpose of the military is to break things and kill people. Even if that is breaking things that would be used against others, and killing those that intend to do harm, it is still breaking & killing, and in the process, there is usually some "collateral damage" to those that had nothing to do with the conflict except to be on the receiving end of shrapnel.

Re:Same as Predator

[pete-classic]

the simple existence of the predator drone has the effect of denying the enemy or potential enemy freedom of movement, irrespective of the ability/willingness to harm. [. . .] unless some careless politician had subscribed to a "no first use" policy.

You just made the same mistake as the careless politician. There must be at least a perceived ability/willingness to do harm. And let's face it, you give the other guy the idea that you're willing to harm him by harming his buddies first.

-Peter

Re:Same as Predator

[waldo2020]

tell it to the allied Canadian soldiers that keep getting bombed by yanks - friendly fire indeed!

Re:Same as Predator

[Nutria]

try imagining the Viet Nam war with predators roaming in the air equipped with that thermal camera.

I'm pretty sure that the tri-layer canopy would have absorbed human body heat.

If you're gonna be semantic pedants, do it right.

[xalorous]

Purpose is a goal, aim, intention.

Function is hat something does or is used for.

So, the purpose is to carry out the function without risking human lives, on the ground or in the air.

So the original statement is wrong too. It doesn't save lives so much as it allows recon, surveillance and targetting without risking lives.

Therefore, the Predator is a weapon system which provides, at a relatively low cost, "Armed reconnaissance, airborne surveillance and target acquisition" with great reduction in risk to friendly soldiers and intelligence assets.

Bottom line, the damn thing saves U.S. soldiers from bleeding. Sheesh.

Re:NASA, NASA, NASA

[GradiusCVK]

Slashdot... News for nerds, stuff that matters.
I'd say that news about almost anything NASA does fits the bill pretty nicely. Better than slashvertisements and the other junk that occasionally pops up on here, at least.