Solar Airship One is a project that aims to achieve a historic feat: to fly around the world without stopping, using only solar power and hydrogen as energy sources. The project, led by Euro Airship, a French company specializing in airship design and construction, is expected to take off in 2026 and complete a 24,854-mile (40,000-kilometer) journey along the equator in 20 to 30 days. The project's mission is not only to demonstrate the technical feasibility of such a flight but also to raise awareness about the environmental challenges and opportunities of sustainable aviation.
What is Solar Airship One?
Solar Airship One is a rigid airship with a fixed structure that maintains its shape, unlike blimps or balloons that rely on internal pressure. The airship is 495 feet (151 meters) long and has a helium volume of 53,000 cubic meters, which provides buoyancy and lift. The airship's envelope, or outer skin, is covered with 4,800 square meters of solar film, which captures sunlight during the day and converts it into electricity. The electricity is used to power the airship's four electric propellers, as well as to produce hydrogen through water electrolysis. The hydrogen is stored in tanks and used by fuel cells at night to generate electricity. This way, the airship can fly continuously without relying on fossil fuels or emitting greenhouse gases.
The electric airship also has 15 gas envelopes inside its structure, which can be individually controlled by software to adjust the airship's altitude and attitude. This allows the airship to cope with different weather conditions and wind patterns. The airship can fly at an average speed of 52 mph (83 km/h) and at an average altitude of 19,685 feet (6,000 meters). The airship has a range of about 540 nautical miles (1,000 kilometers) without solar power, but it can theoretically fly indefinitely with solar power and hydrogen storage.
The electric airship can accommodate three crew members and up to 12 passengers in its gondola, which is located under the envelope. The gondola has a cockpit, a living area, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a cargo space. The gondola also has windows that offer panoramic views of the scenery below.
Who is behind Solar Airship One?
Solar Airship One is the brainchild of Euro Airship, a company founded in 2010 by Jean-François Chanut, an engineer and entrepreneur who has been involved in several airship projects since the 1980s. Euro Airship's vision is to create commercial airships that can offer low-cost and low-carbon transportation solutions for various sectors, such as tourism, logistics, surveillance, or humanitarian aid. Euro Airship has designed and built several prototypes of airships, such as the DGP-2300 and the DGP-3000.
Solar Airship One is Euro Airship's most ambitious project to date, and it has received support from several partners and sponsors, such as Capgemini, Groupe La Poste, Orange, and CNES (the French space agency). The project also benefits from the Solar Impulse Foundation's expertise, founded by Bertrand Piccard, a Swiss adventurer who completed the first round-the-world flight in a solar-powered airplane in 2016. Piccard is one of the three pilots who will fly Solar Airship One around the world, along with Dorine Bourneton, a French paraplegic pilot who holds several world records for aerobatics, and Michel Tognini, a former astronaut who flew on two space shuttle missions.
The construction of Solar Airship One is expected to start in 2024 at Euro Airship's facility in Pauillac, near Bordeaux. The final assembly will take place in 2025 at Istres, near Marseille. The airship will undergo several test flights before obtaining an experimental certification from EASA. The round-the-world flight is planned for 2026, with several stops along the way to meet with local authorities, media, schools, and other stakeholders.
Why is Solar Airship One important?
Solar Airship One is more than just a technological challenge; it is also a message of hope and inspiration for a greener future. By flying around the world without using any fossil fuels or producing any emissions, Solar Airship One will showcase the potential of renewable energy sources and demonstrate that it is possible to travel long distances without harming the environment. Solar Airship One will also highlight the advantages of airships as an alternative mode of transportation that can offer comfort, safety, versatility, and efficiency.
Solar Airship One will also be a platform for education and communication, as it will broadcast live images and data from its flight and interact with various audiences around the world. The project will aim to raise awareness about the environmental issues and challenges facing the planet, such as climate change, air pollution, deforestation, or biodiversity loss. Solar Airship One will also promote the solutions and innovations that can help address these challenges and foster a more sustainable development.
Solar Airship One is a project that embodies the spirit of adventure and exploration and the values of cooperation and solidarity. Solar Airship One will celebrate the diversity and richness of humanity and its potential to overcome obstacles and achieve the impossible by bringing together people from different backgrounds, cultures, and disciplines. Solar Airship One is a project that invites us to dream big and act responsibly for a better world. @via EV Stories and Solar Airship One.
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