MOUNTAIN VIEW -- Officials at NASA Ames Research Center at Moffett Field say they have completed their first unmanned flight to study the receding ice shelf in the Arctic Ocean. The unmanned aircraft are working in a coordinated effort with satellites orbiting the earth.
The goal is to gain a further understanding of the ice's life cycle and it's long term stability. so far, analysis shows the amount of older ice that is present is just 12 percent of what it was in the late 1980's.
NASA Ames officials are pleased at the drone's ability to operate in the harsh conditions north of the Arctic Circle.
