Caption: The Solar Impulse airplane in flight during on July 24, 2012. Credit: Solar Impulse/ Jean Revillard
A unique airplane has just completed a 6,000 km journey, making the first solar-powered intercontinental round-trip air journey. Traveling between Europe and Africa, the Solar Impulse experimental solar airplane landed in Payerne, Switzerland at 08:30 pm local time on July 24, 2012. The trip began two months ago, on May 24 and so was not a test to see how fast it could make the trip, but to assess the endurance and reliability of the craft, as well as bringing awareness to more people of energy issues.
“The goal of this airplane is not just to go from one point to another, but to fly as long as we wish, promote renewable energy and ambitious energy policies,” said pilot Bertrand Piccard, founder of Solar Impulse, during one leg of the intercontinental flight. “All of these have been so successful.”
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Read the rest of Solar Powered Airplane Makes First Intercontinental Round-trip Flight (400 words)
© nancy for Universe Today, 2012. | Permalink | No comment |
Post tags: Solar Impulse, solar power, Technology
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