Editing NASA Pathfinder (section)

{{Short description|Unmanned solar powered aircraft}}
{{For|the Mars roving probe|Mars Pathfinder}}
{{Infobox aircraft
 |name = Pathfinder<br>Pathfinder Plus
 |image = File:Pathfinder solar aircraft over Hawaii.jpg
 |caption = Pathfinder in flight over Hawaii
 |type = Remote controlled [[Unmanned aerial vehicle|UAV]]
 |manufacturer = [[AeroVironment]]
 |designer = <!--only appropriate for single designers, not project leaders-->
 |first_flight = <!--if it hasn't happened, leave it out!-->
 |introduction = <!--date the aircraft entered or will enter military or revenue service-->
 |retired = <!--date the aircraft left military or revenue service. If vague or multiples, it probably should be skipped-->
 |status = <!--in most cases, this field is redundant; use it sparingly-->
 |primary_user = [[NASA ERAST Program]]
 |more_users = <!--limited to three "more users" total; please separate with <br/>-->
 |produced = <!--years in production, e.g. 1970-1999, if still in active use but no longer built-->
 |number_built = 1
 |program cost= <!-- total program cost. -->
 |unit cost = <!-- incremental or flyaway cost for military aircraft or retail price for commercial aircraft. -->
 |developed_from = 
 |variants = 
 |developed_into = [[NASA Centurion]]<br>[[NASA Helios]]
}}

The '''NASA Pathfinder''' and '''NASA Pathfinder Plus''' were the first two aircraft developed as part of an evolutionary series of [[Solar energy|solar]]- and [[fuel cell|fuel-cell]]-system-powered [[unmanned aerial vehicle]]s (UAVs). [[AeroVironment|AeroVironment, Inc.]] developed the vehicles under NASA's [[NASA ERAST Program|Environmental Research Aircraft and Sensor Technology]] (ERAST) program. They were built to develop the technologies that would allow long-term, high-altitude aircraft to serve as [[atmospheric satellite]]s, to perform atmospheric research tasks as well as serve as communications platforms.<ref name=heliosfact>{{cite web |title=NASA Armstrong Fact Sheet: Helios Prototype |website=[[NASA]] |date=13 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230419154840/https://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-068-DFRC.html |archive-date=2023-04-19 |url-status=live |url=http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-068-DFRC.html}}</ref> They were developed further into the [[NASA Centurion]] and [[NASA Helios]] aircraft.