A NEW ROLE FOR THE GLOBAL HAWK DRONE SPYPLANE AIRCRAFT - FROM DEFENSE TO NASA'S SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH PROGRAMS...


There is a new role for the Global Hawk drone aircraft - two aircraft were transfered to Nasa in September 2007, after the United States Air Force decided they had no further use for the pre-production aircraft which were among the first seven constructed during the Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration program that was sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

These were the world's first fully autonomous, high altitude, long endurance unmanned aerial system (drones) Global Hawks can fly up to 65,000 feet for more than 31 hours at a time. For example, they would be able to sample greenhouse gases responsible for ozone depletion and verify Nasa's aura atmosphere research satelitte.

The Global Hawks has been supporting the USAF in the global war on terror providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnnaisance in recent years. They were better known for their work as drone aircraft in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Global Hawks have a new role and many potential applications for the advancement of science, improved hurricane monitoring, development of disaster support capabilities and advanced UAS technologies.

During October 2007 Global Hawks were used for the first time to monotor wildfires in southern California.

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THE NEW ZEALAND GOVERNMENT IS DETERMINED TO SEE THE KILLERS OF TARANAKI BORN PHOTOGRAPHER BROUGHT TO JUSTICE...

The thirty three year old New Zealand born photographer, Trent Keegan, was found after being robbed, beaten to death and left in a ditch in Nairobi,Kenya in May 2008.

Two local men were charged with assaulting and robbing Mr Keegan, but were later acquitted. Nobody has yet been charged with the New Zealander's murder.

The NZ Foreign Affairs Minister, Murray McCully told the media recently that Foreign Affairs were seeking further information from Kenyan authorities in regards to the case, and whether an appeal would be lodged and further investigations undertaken.

His sister, Nikki McKinnon, has moved back to New Zealand with her Australian cameraman husband to live. She wants to support her parents who reside in New Plymouth.

The family are disappointed and feel the NZ government could be doing much more than they have so far. They feel the government has failed to honour its promise to investigate the matter further.