**UPDATED 7/8 1:00 p.m.
The Solar Impulse completed it’s 24-hour test flight today (Thursday) said organizers.
Early Wednesday morning, a solar-powered plane, with an unmistakably large wingspan, took off from Payerne airfield in Switzerland. The Solar Impulse will attempt to complete a 24-hour test flight with the intent of successfully flying the plane through the day and night, using only solar power. This is the second attempt by pilot André Borschberg who tried to take it for an around-the-clock spin last week, only to be grounded due to equipment problems.
Flying over the Jura Mountains west of the Swiss Alps, Borschberg has encountered smooth sailing so far. As the day goes on, he will take the Solar Impulse from a cruising altitude of 9,850 feet to 27,900 feet. Once he has reached full altitude, the plane will be flying solely on energy captured by the sun, not by energy already stored in the batteries. Eventually, the sun will be at an angle that doesn’t allow the plane to run simply on solar-power. Borschberg will then allow the plane to drift using potential energy for as long as he can before going back to battery power.
While the attempt is showing success during daylight hours, once night approaches Borschberg will determine if there is enough power stored in the batteries to continue the journey until morning, and thus completing a full 24-hour trip.
Having already completed a number of mini-flights, this is the first official attempt of this duration for the solar plane. Bertrand Piccard, the record-breaking balloonist who first circled the globe nonstop in a hot air balloon and initiator and president of Solar Impulse, told the Associated Press, “this flight is crucial for the credibility of the project.”
Even with a successful flight today, the team doesn’t except solar technology to infiltrate mainstream air travel any time soon. Their main goal is to prove that emission-free flight is possible and to spread the promise of green flying.
Piccard explained in a news release: “The intention of this mission is to demonstrate the potential of renewable energy and clean technologies and to promote them amongst the public.”
To root for the Solar Impulse and keep up with its progress, check out its Twitter page.
Photo by Deutsche Bank AG via Flickr.