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The Big Picture: Preparing for a solar-powered flight around the world
Earlier this week, the second Solar Impulse aircraft embarked on its maiden voyage over Payerne, Switzerland. Solar Impulse 2 hopes to expand on the success of its predecessor, and make an around-the-world flight in 2015. The 72 meter-wide wing houses over 17,000 solar panels that can power the craft with virtually unlimited autonomy. The global voyage will take a five months, and is planned to launch in March.
The Solar Impulse 2 could fly around the world without a drop of fuel
The first time we flew around the world, it was 1924 and it took four pilots 175 days to do it. Flash forward some 90 years, and an ambitious crew in Switzerland is planning to take a stab at it themselves next year. The difference? They're aiming to do it in a plane that's powered solely by the sun.
Solar Impulse completes transcontinental flight, runs out of complimentary peanuts
The Impulse solar-powered plane has successfully completed its first transcontinental journey. It took 19 hours to jet between Madrid and Morocco -- with the plane's 12,000 solar cells swallowing enough power to keep it going long into the night. Pilots Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg can now look forward to planning their next voyage: a round the world cruise penciled in for 2014.
Solar Impulse takes off for Morocco on first sun-powered transcontinental flight
The sun-powered Solar Impulse plane is gradually working up to a trip around the globe, with the most recent benchmark being its first international flight in 2011. Now Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg are taking the jumbo jet-size plane on its first transcontinental journey. The Solar Impulse set off for Morocco today, and its pilots will stop in Madrid along the way. The goal is to complete the 1,554-mile trip by next week, and the big challenge will be crossing cloudy regions like the Pyrenees mountains separating France and Spain. In a 2010 test flight, the Impulse's 12,000 solar cells soaked up enough rays to keep the plane going through the night, but in case something goes wrong this time, the pilots are prepared with parachutes. If all goes well on this trial run, Piccard and Borschberg will be just one step away from their goal of circumnavigating the world in 2014.
Solar Impulse completes first solar-powered international flight, Captain Piccard returns to earth
We're big fans of charming, ungainly Solar Impulse, and of Captain Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg's quest to circumnavigate the globe in a solar-powered plane. In case you missed the live stream: the Swiss flier just got a little closer to that goal by completing its first international flight, taking off near Berne, Switzerland and landing in Brussels, Belgium, just under 13 hours later. That's half the flight time of an earlier test, in which the craft's 200-foot wingspan, covered with 12,000 photovoltaic solar cells, kept it aloft for 26 hours. Of course, a controlled test flight is one thing -- making solar-powered flight commercially viable means proving your plane can successfully navigate busy airspace. To see Solar Impulse come in for a smooth landing, peep the video after the break.
Solar Impulse's first international flight is underway (live)
We've been following Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse solar-powered airplane for a few years now. Today, right now as a matter of fact, the pioneering Swiss HB-SIA aircraft with 200-foot wingspan is attempting its first international flight. The flight to Brussels began at 8:40am (0640GMT) and should conclude about 12 to 13 hours later when Andre Borshberg brings all 12,000 photovoltaic cells to the ground in a controlled (we hope) landing. If successful then we can expect the craft to take on the Atlantic, Lindbergh style, in 2012 or 2013. Hit the source link below to track Solar Impulse's position in real-time and to witness a live video feed of this historic event.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: Tesla's Roadster 2.5, the world's smallest electric plane, and solar jellyfish goo
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. From the deep blue seas to the sunny skies, this week novel renewable energy projects lit up the newswires. We watched as the world's largest wave energy site was installed in the UK, and we were excited to see Europe's largest wind farm get a major upgrade. We also took a look at several high-flying turbines that could potentially tap 870 terawatts of high-altitude wind energy, and we were shocked to see scientists develop a new type of solar cell made from bioluminescent jellyfish. We also showcased several soaring advances in green aviation as the Solar Impulse sun-powered airplane rallied for a series of trips across Switzerland and Cri-Cri, the wold's smallest electric plane, took its inaugural flight. Electric transportation also hit the streets as we took a spin in Tesla's brand new Roadster 2.5. In other news, this week we saw the light as Hulger brought their stunningly sculpted Plumen bulbs to market, and we marveled at a fresh new solar panel-inspired clothing line and a photovoltaic roofing system that doesn't look like a Blade Runner prop. Finally, we celebrated the last days of summer with this awesome solar Ibex cooker that bakes and boils using the power of the sun.
Zephyr solar powered UAV lands after a fortnight in the air (whatever that means)
With all the excitement surrounding the solar powered UAV's record-breaking flights, we would be remiss if we didn't mention that QinetiQ's Zephyr has finally landed in an airfield in Arizona, 14 days and 24 minutes after take-off. This quadruples the previous unofficial world record for unmanned flight (which it set itself in 2008). This is a dramatic proof-of-concept, having flown longer without refueling than any other airplane. We'd like to imagine that this technology would be used primarily for delivering toys to children in developing nations, but something tells us that will have to wait until the military gets its hands on it. PR after the break.
Zephyr solar UAV sets yet another flight record: 7 days and counting!
This certainly is an interesting time for solar powered flight. Solar Impulse just returned from a 26-hour manned test flight, and now QinetiQ's Zephyr, a drone who we last saw clocking over 83 hours in-flight is in the air again: this time, it's more like seven days and counting! The craft, which took off from the Army's Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona last Friday, is being billed as an "eternal aircraft," one that can stay aloft for extremely long periods of time for use as recon and communications platforms. The previous world endurance record for a UAV was set by NASA's Global Hawk, which stayed aloft for 30 hours and 24 minutes.
Solar Impulse returns from 24 hour test flight 26 hours later
Rest easy, fans of solar-powered aeronautics. Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse has safely returned after 26 hours in the air -- powered by nothing but the sun. The four-engine aircraft, which features 12,000 solar cells arranged on its wingspan, reached a height of almost 29,000 feet before touching down at Payerne Airport near Berne, Switzerland today. The next step? The team is going back to the woodshed, with the hope of developing a plane that will circumnavigate the globe by 2013.
Solar Impulse begins 24-hour test flight, lets you watch the whole thing live
Boy, these Franco-Swiss research teams sure do like to exhibit their work to the world. After the Large Hadron Collider crew did a live webcast of their record-breaking 7 TeV proton collisions, here's Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse gang showing off their latest feat via a live video stream. Taking off shortly before 7AM Central European Time today, the HB-SIA craft is currently cruising above the idyllic plains of Switzerland, with the plan being for it to start gently descending through the night and plopping itself back down on terra firma early in the morning. Hit the source link to track its laps in real time, replete with sporadic commentary from the monitoring crew. It's riveting stuff.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: street-legal Tron lightcycles, electronic eyeglasses, and the American Solar Challenge
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us. This week Inhabitat saw solar-powered vehicles blaze trails around the globe as the University of Michigan's sleek pod car crossed the finish line to win the American Solar Challenge. We also watched the Solar Impulse gear up for its first eagerly anticipated night flight -- a pivotal undertaking as the sun-powered plane prepares to circle the earth. In other clean transportation news, and we were stunned to see a set of street-legal electric Tron lightcycles pop up on eBay. The field of renewable energy also heated up this week as researchers revealed an innovative tri-layered solar panel that's capable of catching the full spectrum of the sun's rays. Wind power made waves as well as Principle Power unveiled a new ultra-sturdy ocean platform that's able to support the world's tallest wind turbines. Finally, we saw the light this week as Illumitex unveiled the world's first square LED bulb, which they claim is cheaper, more efficient and more practical than typical round bulbs. We also peered at an innovative new type of electronic eyeglasses that can change your prescription with the push of a button. And for all you shutterbugs looking to share your vision with the world, you won't want to miss this handy solar camera strap that ensures you'll never miss a shot.
Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse completes first full test flight, nears another frontier (video)
We've tracked this solar-powered tub from its announcement last year, through its first runway tests, past the little hop that counted as its first flight, and now we've arrived at the HB-SIA's first legitimate test flight. The Solar Impulse, brainchild of one Bertrand Piccard, took the upward plunge into the skies yesterday, successfully rising to 5,500 feet and a speed of 30 knots before gliding down gently and calling the whole thing an unqualified success. You can find video of the event after the break. A nighttime test flight is planned for later this year, after which a bulkier production model will be cobbled together with the intent of reaching the final goal of circumnavigating the globe by 2012.
Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse takes flight
They said it couldn't be done. They laughed and questioned what would happen when the sun sets, but the man whose passport reads Piccard, Bertrand, and whose bold will and bald helm match a similarly named Capitaine, has now overseen the first solar-powered flight on the Solar Impulse HB-SIA. Okay, so it was 1,150 feet flown at a meter above ground level, but that's just classic Swiss caution for you, no reason not to celebrate the fact that there's now a flying tub powered purely by solar energy and promising a future of aircraft operating indefinitely -- so long as the sun doesn't forget to rise every morning. This comes mere days after the first runway tests were carried out, leading us to believe that this is one mission with a glorious chance of success.
Captain Piccard's Solar Impulse starts runway testing
Good news, kids -- the solar-powered jet with globetrotting ambitions has started sneaking out of the hangar and onto the runway for some mild exercise in the form of landing gear and taxi testing. Captained by Bertrand Piccard -- a real person -- the Solar Impulse project is still on track for a 2012 globe circumnavigation attempt powered only by the sun's rays from above and the well-wishes from below. The humongous bird is described as having "the wingspan of an Airbus and the weight of a car," and its recent outdoorsy jaunts have done nothing to dampen spirits, making that roadmap for its first flight early next year seem entirely viable. We've got no less than three videos for you after the break, but we won't mind if you only watch one.
Captain Piccard unveils Solar Impulse HB-SIA solar-powered plane
You might have seen solar-powered planes before, but few of them come with as much world-changing ambition as the Solar Impulse. Launched in 2003, the project aims to demonstrate the viability of renewable energy sources by being the first to perform a manned flight around the globe using only solar power. The technology is nothing to scoff at, as the 200-foot wingspan features 12,000 photovoltaic solar cells bringing power to four electric motors. Captain Bertrand Piccard, one of the key men behind this project, is best known as one half of the first team to circumnavigate the world in a balloon in 1999. He hopes, together with partner André Borschberg, to repeat that achievement in Solar Impulse's next iteration, the HB-SIB, in 2012. Make it so, guys.[Via Gizmag]
