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The solar powered aircraft seeks to take renewable energy into the skies. It’s a one-seat, 80 meter long flying wing that is powered entirely by a battery of solar cells.

This zero-emission airplane is being created and tested by a group of Swiss adventurers and is called the Solar Impulse. The fuselage is made entirely out of custom carbon fiber, and the cockpit is designed to protect the pilot at an altitude of up to 12,000 feet.


Solar Powered Flight

How does it fly?

It’s powered by a dense array of photovoltaic (solar) cells which generate electricity from sunlight during the day and store it in on-board lithium batteries to be used at night.

Currently, the group developing this aircraft are testing it in computer simulations under day and nighttime conditions. The maiden day flight of the prototype is scheduled for later this year. If everything goes according to plan, the first night flight will follow in 2009.

The long term goal is that this technology will someday be refined to allow for commercial airlines powered entirely by renewable energy sources.

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