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Solar-powered aircraft

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NASA's Pathfinder prototype

Solar-powered aircraft are electric aircraft that can be an airplane, blimp, or airship and use either a battery or hydrogen to store the energy produced by the solar cells and use that energy at night when the sun isn't shining.

Usage

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Solar-powered aircraft do not require fuel, so they don't require oxygen, and they are able to operate at altitudes over 20 kilometres (12 mi) to 100 kilometres (62 mi) for months at a time.[1][2]

Conventional passenger or cargo aircraft usages aren't practical yet with modern technology, but high-altitude platform stations and long-endurance missions over a fixed location with unmanned aircraft or airships are feasible. Thus solar-powered aircraft could be used in telecommunications, video/imagery, flight control by transporting airport surveillance radars, in precipitation detection by transporting weather radars, geopositioning Global Positioning Systems (GPS),[3] and other pseudo satellite[4] applications that transpond the data with ground stations.

List of solar airplanes

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This list is non-exhaustive.

Solar airships

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Stratobus high altitude airship

Solar Airship One is being developed by Euro Airship and is planning to launch a would tour in 2026 and fly by 25 countries in 20 days as it travels around the world non-stop.

It will be autonomous and use electrolysis to store hydrogen to keep moving at night when the sun isn't shining.[12]

See also

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Solar-powered aircraft concept for Mars. VTOL capabilities to land and recharge the batteries.[13]

References

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  1. ^ "Recent Advancements in Solar-Powered Aircraft". AZoCleantech.com. December 21, 2022.
  2. ^ "MIT School of Engineering | » Is it possible to make solar-powered airplanes?".
  3. ^ https://arxiv.org/abs/2301.00762
  4. ^ Hill, Kelly (December 20, 2021). "What are HAPS and what role will they play in future networks?".
  5. ^ "Sunrise, the world's first solar-powered airplane | Journal of Aircraft". doi:10.2514/3.45213.
  6. ^ "First solar powered aircraft: Mauro Solar Riser".
  7. ^ "Plane flies on sun power", by Terrance W. McGarry, United Press International report in the Spokane (WA) Chronicle, June 5, 1980, p12
  8. ^ "Solar Impulse - Around the world to promote clean technologies". Solar Impulse.
  9. ^ Joss, Kevin (July 25, 2024). "Skydweller on mission to fly uncrewed solar aircraft autonomously nonstop around the world". Futurride.
  10. ^ Demarest, Colin (November 13, 2023). "Airbus, maker of long-flying Zephyr, launches US drone business". C4ISRNet.
  11. ^ Reed, Jessica (July 25, 2023). "PHASA-35: High-Altitude UAS Offers Game-Changing Potential". Avionics International.
  12. ^ Burgos, Matthew (September 19, 2023). "Solar and hydrogen-powered aircraft will fly around the world for 20 days without stopping". designboom | architecture & design magazine.
  13. ^ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/41504124_A_Mars_VTOL_Aerobot_-_Preliminary_Design_Dynamics_and_Control