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7ThingstoKnowAbouttheSolarImpulse2

7 Things to Know About the

Solar Impulse 2
Tue, 03/10/2015 - 4:23pm

by Aya Batrawy, Associated Press

InthisMonday,March9,2015photoreleasedbySolarImpulse,a
SwisssolarpoweredplanelandsinMuscat,Oman,afterittookoff
fromAbuDhabiearlyMonday,markingthestartofthefirstattempt
toflyaroundtheworldwithoutadropoffuel.SolarImpulsefounder
AndreBorschbergwasatthecontrolsofthesingleseaterwhenit
tookofffromtheAlBateenExecutiveAirport.(APPhoto/Jean
RevillardandOlgaStefatou,SolarImpulse)

TwoSwisspioneersareattemptingtoflyaroundtheworldin
asolarpoweredairplanewithoutadropoffossilfuel.Here'sa
lookattheplaneandthepioneersbehindit:
HOWISTHEPLANEFLYINGONLYONSOLARPOWER?
Describedbyitscreatorsas"anairbornelaboratory,"the
singleseatSolarImpulse2has17,248ultraefficientsolar
cellsthattransfersolarenergytofourelectricalmotorsthat
powertheplane'spropellers.Thecellsalsorechargefour
lithiumpolymerbatteriestopowertheplaneatnight.At
around2,300kilograms(5,070pounds),thecarbonfiberSi2
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weighsabout2,300kilograms(5,070pounds),aboutasmuch
asaminivanormidsizedtruck.AnemptyBoeing747,which
hasaboutthesamewingspan,weighssome180,000
kilograms(400,000pounds).
Read:AcrossAmericain12,000SolarCells
HOWFASTWILLITFLYANDATWHATHEIGHTS?
Theplane'sidealflightspeedisabout25knots,or45kph(28
mph),thoughthatcandoubleduringthedaywhensun'srays
arestrongest.Theplanewillreachanaltitudeofaround
28,000feet(8,500meters)duringthedayandatnightdipto
around5,000feet(1,500meters)whenflyingoveroceans.
Duringlandingandtakeoff,theplaneisguidedbyrunners
andbicyclistswhohelpsteadyit.
WHOARETHESWISSPIONEERSBEHINDTHIS
AIRCRAFT?
PsychiatristBertrandPiccard,57,isthesonofundersea
explorerJacquesPiccardandagrandsonofballoonistAuguste
Piccard.In1999,hebecamethefirstpersonto
circumnavigatetheglobenonstopinahotairballoon.Andr
Borschberg,62,isbothaninvestorandanentrepreneur.He
isCEOandcofounderofSolarImpulse,whichhestartedin
2003withPiccard.Thetwomenwilltradeoffpilotingduring
layovers.
WHATARETHECHALLENGESTHEYFACEONTHIS
JOURNEY?
PiccardandBorschbergwillhavetomakeitacrossAsiabefore
thestartofthemonsoonseason.Theirphysicalandmental
endurancewillbetestedastheyflyoverthePacificand
Atlanticoceans.Thoselegsofthetripmeanfivedaysandfive
nightsofflyingalone.Borschberghasbeenpracticingyoga
andPiccardselfhypnosistoprepareforthelongsoloflights.
Theyaimtorestamaximumof20minutesstraight,repeating
thenaps12timesovera24hourperiod.Goggleswornover
thepilot'seyeswillflashlightstowakehimup.Neitherpilot
willbeabletostandinthecockpitwhileflying,thoughitsseat
reclinesforstretchinganditscushioncanberemovedfor
accesstoatoilet.Thereisnorunningwateronboard.
Armbandsplacedunderneaththeirsuitswillbuzziftheplane
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isn'tflyinglevel.Thesmallcockpitisnotpressurized,sothey
willbeabletofeelthechangesintemperatureoutside,which
willrangefrom40degreesCelsius(40degreesFahrenheit)
to40degreesCelsius(104degreesFahrenheit).
WHEREWILLTHEPLANEMAKEITSLAYOVERSAND
WHY?
Asittravelssome35,000kilometers(21,700miles)around
theworld,theSi2willstopin12cities.Theactualflightdays
arejust25,butthecourseofthejourneyisroughlyfive
monthsbecauseorganizersplanpubliceventsfor
governments,schoolsanduniversitiesalongtheway.After
reachingAhmedabad,India,theteamheadstoanotherIndian
city,thenMyanmarandtoChongqingandNanjinginChina.
AftercrossingthePacificandlandinginHawaii,theyplanto
flyacrosstheU.S.,withstopoversinPhoenixandNewYork
City.AftercrossingtheAtlantic,theteamsaystheyeitherwill
stopinsouthernEuropeorMoroccobeforefinishingwherethe
journeystartedinAbuDhabi.
WHATDOORGANIZERSHOPETOACCOMPLISH?
Theproject,whichbeganin2002andisestimatedtocost
morethan$100million,isaimedathighlightingthe
importanceofrenewableenergyandthespiritofinnovation.
PiccardandBorschbergencouragepeopletodiscussthe
projectonlineusing(hashtag)FutureIsCleantosenda"strong
messageforcleantechnologies."Theyhopetomobilize
politicians,governments,celebritiesandprivatecitizensahead
oftheConferenceonClimateChangeoftheUnitedNations,
whichwilldefinethenewKyotoprotocolinDecember2015in
Paris.
HOWCANIFOLLOWTHEIRJOURNEY?
ThosecuriouscantracktheaircraftonSolarImpulse's
website,whichprovidesliveinformationabouttheplane's
batterystatus,energyconsumption,locationandflightpath,
aswellashowmuchthepilothassleptandhowmuchfood
andwaterhehasleft.Avideofeedshowstheplane'sMonaco
basedcontrolroomandfootagefromthecockpit.

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