▁should ▁be ▁launched ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 1 9 . ▁ ▁Re con na issance ▁capabilities ▁The ▁Fire bird ▁is ▁designed ▁so ▁that ▁the ▁aircraft ▁is ▁able ▁to ▁carry ▁up ▁to ▁four ▁modules ▁of ▁sp y ▁equipment ▁simultaneously , ▁on ▁a ▁separate ▁system ▁from ▁that ▁needed ▁to ▁control ▁the ▁plane , ▁so ▁that ▁equipment ▁can ▁be ▁easily ▁sw apped ▁in ▁and ▁out . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Rick ▁Cro oks , ▁a ▁North rop ▁executive ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁project , ▁this ▁design ▁means ▁that ▁"[ i ] t ▁takes ▁days ▁or ▁weeks ▁to ▁get ▁a ▁new ▁payload ▁[ of ▁equipment ] ▁integrated , ▁instead ▁of ▁years ." ▁The ▁aircraft ▁has ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁simultaneously ▁view ▁inf ra red ▁imag ery , ▁gather ▁real ▁time ▁high - definition ▁video , ▁use ▁rad ar , ▁and ▁perform ▁local ▁signals ▁intelligence . ▁ ▁Oper ational ▁history ▁The ▁idea ▁of ▁building ▁an ▁aircraft ▁capable ▁of ▁being ▁flow n ▁with ▁or ▁without ▁a ▁pilot ▁was ▁first ▁flo ated ▁on ▁ 9 ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁by ▁Rick ▁Cro oks , ▁when ▁he ▁contact ed ▁Sc aled ▁Compos ites ▁about ▁the ▁possibility ▁of ▁building ▁such ▁an ▁aircraft . ▁Sc aled ▁agreed , ▁and ▁on ▁ 9 ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁the ▁aircraft ▁made ▁its ▁first ▁flight . ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁the ▁aircraft ▁demonstrated ▁its ▁capabilities ▁of ▁collect ing ▁information ▁from ▁multiple ▁sources ▁simultaneously ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁when ▁it ▁made ▁a ▁demonstr ation ▁flight ▁in ▁Sac r amento , ▁California