The Solar energy powered cars are not new to us but an airplane that flies solely on the solar energy is definitely new to us. The Solar Impulse is going to become the first ever airplane powered by Solar energy to complete a day and night flight without any fuel. It will take the long flight solely on the energy it acquired from the sunlight.
In the year 2013 the team behind this project aims to make a long flight across the US. The Wingspan of this solar powered airplane is equal to the size of a 747 however it is much lighter than that plane. It weighs around as much as a family sized car. The Solar Impulse was created by a team in Switzerland who after its creation disassembled it to send it to the US where it is supposed to take its first flight.
While it is a big achievement the team behind the Solar Impulse isn’t stopping after their across US flight and they are already eyeing another milestone which is to fly their solar powered airplane around the world by the year 2015.
The success of the Solar Impulse is a great news for everyone as it shows the potential of utilizing Solar energy into airplanes which use a lot of energy. While the technology isn’t ready to be applied on a large Boeing plane, it certainly gives us new hope of shifting towards greener and more efficient flying solutions for commercial airplanes.
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