Solar Impulse Makes History As Solar Plane Completes 24-Hour Flight (PHOTOS)

PAYERNE, Switzerland — An experimental solar-powered plane completed its first 24-hour test flight successfully Thursday, proving that the aircraft can collect enough energy from the sun during the day to stay aloft all night. The test brings the Swiss-led project one step closer to its goal of circling the globe using only energy from the sun.

Pilot Andre Borschberg eased the Solar Impulse out of the clear blue morning sky onto the runway at Payerne airfield about 30 miles (50 kilometers) southwest of the Swiss capital Bern at exactly 9 a.m. (0700 GMT; 3 a.m. EDT). Helpers rushed to stabilize the pioneering plane as it touched down, ensuring that its massive 207-foot (63-meter) wingspan didn't scrape the ground and topple the craft.

"We achieved more than we wanted. Everybody is extremely happy," Borschberg told reporters after landing. Previous flights included a brief "flea hop" and a longer airborne test earlier this year, but this week's attempt was described as a "milestone" by the team and comes after seven years of planning.

The team says it has now demonstrated that the single-seat plane can theoretically stay in the air indefinitely, recharging its depleted batteries using 12,000 solar cells and nothing but the rays of the sun during the day. But while the team says this proves that emissions-free air travel is possible, it doesn't see solar technology replacing conventional jet propulsion any time soon. Story continued on next page

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Solar Impulse's team chief Bertrand Piccard , left and Solar Impulse's Chief Executive Officer and pilot Andre Borschberg celebrate after successfully landing the solar-powered HB-SIA prototype airplane after its first successful night flight attempt at Payerne airport, on Thursday, July 8, 2010. The aircraft took off July 7 at 06:51 am and reached an altitude of 8,700 meters (28,543 feet) by the end of the day. It then slowly descent to 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) and flew during the night on the batteries, charged during the day by 12,000 solar cells, which powered the four electric motors. It landed July 8 at 09.00 AM (GMT 2) for a flight time of 26 hours 9 minutes setting the longest and highest flight ever made by a solar plane. (AP Photo/Keystone, Dominic Favre, Pool)

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Solar Impulse's team chief Bertrand Piccard , left and Solar Impulse's Chief Executive Officer and pilot Andre Borschberg celebrate after successfully landing the solar-powered HB-SIA prototype airplane after its first successful night flight attempt at Payerne airport, on Thursday, July 8, 2010. The aircraft took off July 7 at 06:51 am and reached an altitude of 8,700 meters (28,543 feet) by the end of the day. It then slowly descent to 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) and flew during the night on the batteries, charged during the day by 12,000 solar cells, which powered the four electric motors. It landed July 8 at 09.00 AM (GMT 2) for a flight time of 26 hours 9 minutes setting the longest and highest flight ever made by a solar plane. (AP Photo/Keystone, Dominic Favre, Pool)

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Comments

[moutonnoir]

10:37 PM on 07/17/2010

Sweet. I looked more. http://video.ap.org/?f=AP&pid=0P4nyCP61TikgkkBrB8Io9FKRCx08ohp it can take off on it's own!

[moutonnoir]

10:34 PM on 07/17/2010

So. Does it need to be dragged up to a certain altitude first? I bet it does! If this is the case, and not 1/16 of these photos shows this - i feel misled.

[Moe Sislak]

12:51 AM on 07/16/2010

One more great step for clean energy.

[PoloniumMan]

04:12 PM on 07/10/2010

This is interesting news, but hardly new. NASA has had a solar power plane flying for the last two decades.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-034-DFRC.html

The first solar-powered plane with a person on board was the Gossamer Penguin which flew three decades ago on May 18, 1980.

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/news/FactSheets/FS-054-DFRC.html

Not surprising that the anti-American Huffpo failed to mention these.

[moutonnoir]

10:33 PM on 07/17/2010

Yeah yeah.. And wright bros were waaay behind other European powered aircraft experimentalist..

All of the history of everything is mushy and rife with inaccuracies..

[elizabeth lerer]

03:48 PM on 07/08/2010

How is plane different from a "glider"?
Can it launch without a petrol powered plane?
Please do not sell or give this technology to the military.

[lightningbolt]

12:04 PM on 07/08/2010

This is an amazing achievement. New technology is showing that fossil fuels will soon be obsolete. Clean renewable energy is the only type of energy that can sustain our economy and environment indefinitely.

[J0E1]

02:34 PM on 07/08/2010

If by soon you mean in 150 years... well you might be right.

[lightningbolt]

02:51 PM on 07/08/2010

Where did you get that number? Did you actually do any research? Do you have any knowledge of engineering and physics? Were you aware that there are fully electric vehicles coming out in 2011 for the commercial market? Do you even know that we have the technology to build electric trains and trucks? Did you even read the article about the solar plane? Your guess of 150 years tells me you know very little about engineering and physics and therefore you are not qualified to be in this discussion.

[TexasDem0]

11:34 AM on 07/08/2010

At night, plane and pilot run on moonshine?

[lightningbolt]

12:03 PM on 07/08/2010

"the aircraft can collect enough energy from the sun during the day to stay aloft all night."

Read the article.

[marsjo]

02:15 PM on 07/08/2010

he was kidding. Nice quip, I thought.

[angrymanspokane]

11:21 AM on 07/08/2010

Seems like a Wright Brother's moment in history, I wonder why it isn't getting a lot of attention.

[javajava]

01:27 PM on 07/08/2010

X2. The trans Atlantic flight may.

[bcgd]

01:28 PM on 07/08/2010

Because we are idiot monkey cousins that should of completed this about 30 years ago.
Still pretty awesome. I mean seriously. We went to the moon 40 years ago and drove a god dam electric car up there.