As the sun rises, our Global Hawk is prepped for flight at Armstrong Flight Research Center on Edwards Air Force Base in California. Pre-dawn flights of our Global Hawk help beat hot summer days in Southern California. electronic components, which are cooled by fuel onboard, only function within temperature limitations, so testing usually ceases by midday, as fuel and onboard computers become too hot to operate. This aircraft is used for high-altitude, long-duration Earth science missions. Details: http://go.nasa.gov/2tunzs6
