After four years of design and development, Swiss adventurer Bertrand Piccard today unveils the solar-powered aircraft with which he plans to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies by circumnavigating the globe. It will be the world’s first manned solar-powered aircraft. The Solar Impulse HB-SIA prototype has a wing span of 61m, which is comparable with a commercial airliner, but at 1,500kg the solar-powered plane weighs the same as a small family car.
Dr Piccard made history in 1999 by flying around the world non-stop in a balloon.
He plans to test the solar-powered plane by making a crossing of the Atlantic in 2012.
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1 comment:
Solar energy is such a powerful and abundant resource that is hardly being used by any country in a big way. There are so many countries in this world that have abundant sunlight almost for eleven months of the year. It is high time that more focus is made towards harnessing the sun’s energy and in http://climatarians.org you may find more information about it. Your post on the first solar powered manned aircraft is welcome news. At least someone is looking for ways to use the energy from the sun to power things.
Definitely a good trend. Thanks!
Joost Hoogstrate
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