ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science
No Result
View All Result
ZME Science

Home → Environment → Renewable Energy

Exclusively solar-powered plane will circumnavigate globe in a non-stop flight, even at night

Tibi PuiubyTibi Puiu
December 5, 2012
in Renewable Energy, Science
A A
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterSubmit to Reddit

RelatedPosts

Engineers create solar panels that generate electricity at night
Record-breaking silicon solar cell efficiency of 26.6% demonstrated by Japanese researchers, very close to the theoretical limit
New way to make affordable high efficiency stacked solar cells
Pacific island nation Tokelau to become first entirely solar powered nation in the world this year

Solar Impulse solar powered plane

Solar Impulse, the now famous 100 percent solar-powered aircraft, made the headlines after it proved it could fly for 26 hours straight, be it day or night. Now the projects’ initiators want to take the plane and solar power to new dazzling heights – they want to circumnavigate the globe in 20 days and 20 night flight all powered by solar energy.

Solar Impulse ins’t the first solar powered plane, however where it shines is that it can fly both during the day and night thanks to its system that powers both the plane’s engine rotors and charges its battery at the same time. The fragile aircraft, which weighs less than a SUV, spans  63-meter-wide wings crafted from carbon fiber and covered with 10,748 solar panel; another 880 cover the horizontal stabilizer, bringing the total number of solar panels to around 12,000. These solar panels generate enough energy to power four 8HP rotors, coincidentally the same amount of horse power the Wright Brothers were working with at Kitty Hawk.

The low horse power shows, as Solar Impulse can’t travel at more than 30 miles per hour, meaning that it needs 20 days and 20 nights to circle the globe. The pilot flying Solar Impulse will be Bertrand Piccard, the same pilot that flew the plane during its record 26 hour non-stop flight and the  first to circumnavigate the globe nonstop in a balloon.

“The sunset is gorgeous, but the sunrise of course brings the next day,” Piccard told 60 Minutes. “It brings the hope again that you can continue.”

Piccard and the sponsors backing his project hope the first attempt can be made as early as 2015, as preparations and much needed modifications need to be made. Remember, his non-stop all solar powered flight with Solar Impulse was made exclusively circling Switzerland, his home country. The fragile plane would have to face storms and thousands of miles worth of traveling over the ocean at an altitude of 12,000 feet. This is not a mission without peril, but the glory is maybe as exciting as Amelia Earhart’s trip.

Tags: solar energysolar power

ShareTweetShare
Tibi Puiu

Tibi Puiu

Tibi is a science journalist and co-founder of ZME Science. He writes mainly about emerging tech, physics, climate, and space. In his spare time, Tibi likes to make weird music on his computer and groom felines. He has a B.Sc in mechanical engineering and an M.Sc in renewable energy systems.

Related Posts

Agriculture

America’s Cornfields Could Power the Future—With Solar Panels, Not Ethanol

byTudor Tarita
2 months ago
A satellite with solar panels orbiting the Earth.
Future

Japan Plans to Beam Solar Power from Space to Earth

byRupendra Brahambhatt
2 months ago
News

For the first time ever, wind and solar produced more electricity than coal in the US

byTudor Tarita
3 months ago
News

Reaching Net Zero Emissions Might Be Much Easier (and Cheaper) Than We Thought

byMihai Andrei
4 months ago

Recent news

China Resurrected an Abandoned Soviet ‘Sea Monster’ That’s Part Airplane, Part Hovercraft

June 30, 2025
great white shark

This Shark Expert Has Spent Decades Studying Attacks and Says We’ve Been Afraid for the Wrong Reasons

June 30, 2025

A Rocket Carried Cannabis Seeds and 166 Human Remains into Space But Their Capsule Never Made It Back

June 30, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Editorial Policy
  • Privacy Policy and Terms of Use
  • How we review products
  • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Science News
  • Environment
  • Health
  • Space
  • Future
  • Features
    • Natural Sciences
    • Physics
      • Matter and Energy
      • Quantum Mechanics
      • Thermodynamics
    • Chemistry
      • Periodic Table
      • Applied Chemistry
      • Materials
      • Physical Chemistry
    • Biology
      • Anatomy
      • Biochemistry
      • Ecology
      • Genetics
      • Microbiology
      • Plants and Fungi
    • Geology and Paleontology
      • Planet Earth
      • Earth Dynamics
      • Rocks and Minerals
      • Volcanoes
      • Dinosaurs
      • Fossils
    • Animals
      • Mammals
      • Birds
      • Fish
      • Amphibians
      • Reptiles
      • Invertebrates
      • Pets
      • Conservation
      • Animal facts
    • Climate and Weather
      • Climate change
      • Weather and atmosphere
    • Health
      • Drugs
      • Diseases and Conditions
      • Human Body
      • Mind and Brain
      • Food and Nutrition
      • Wellness
    • History and Humanities
      • Anthropology
      • Archaeology
      • History
      • Economics
      • People
      • Sociology
    • Space & Astronomy
      • The Solar System
      • Sun
      • The Moon
      • Planets
      • Asteroids, meteors & comets
      • Astronomy
      • Astrophysics
      • Cosmology
      • Exoplanets & Alien Life
      • Spaceflight and Exploration
    • Technology
      • Computer Science & IT
      • Engineering
      • Inventions
      • Sustainability
      • Renewable Energy
      • Green Living
    • Culture
    • Resources
  • Videos
  • Reviews
  • About Us
    • About
    • The Team
    • Advertise
    • Contribute
    • Editorial policy
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact

© 2007-2025 ZME Science - Not exactly rocket science. All Rights Reserved.