What is ‘Greased Lightning–10 (GL–10)’, recently in the news?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (a) Electric plane tested by NASA
Greased Lightning (GL-10) is an experimental battery-powered aircraft developed by NASA's Langley Research Center. It has ten electric motors and can take off vertically like a helicopter and then fly efficiently like an aeroplane.
- ✓ (a) NASA describes GL-10 as a battery-powered plane with 10 engines, eight electric motors on the wings and two on the tail, that takes off like a helicopter and cruises like an aircraft.
- ✗ (b) GL-10 is a NASA project. It is a small remotely piloted aircraft, not a solar-powered two-seater from Japan.
- ✗ (c) GL-10 is an aircraft, not a space observatory.
- ✗ (d) GL-10 is an aircraft, not a rocket, and it has nothing to do with ISRO.
Remember · GL-10 (Greased Lightning): NASA's ten-motor electric VTOL aircraft prototype from Langley Research Center.
Sources
- NASA: Ten-Engine Electric Plane Prototype Takes Off ↗ “A team at NASA’s Langley Research Center is developing a concept of a battery-powered plane that has 10 engines and can take off like a helicopter and fly efficiently like an aircraft.”
- NASA Technical Reports Server: Greased Lightning (GL-10) Flight Testing Campaign ↗ “Greased Lightning (GL-10) is an aircraft configuration that combines the characteristics of a cruise efficient airplane with the ability to perform vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL).”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·