#solar plane

[o-b-d-w]

[thelabotomy]

SOLAR PUPPY! Building solar powered toys #ASMR #power

► Check out the full video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxu0B-J3VJY&list=PLPz-I0BhXRDI1l8fTZTKJS-ymHxwp06hu

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[buddylistsocial]

Parachutist Makes World’s First Jump From Solar-Powered Plane

Parachutist Makes World’s First Jump From Solar-Powered Plane

Project instigator Raphael Domjan jumps with a parachute from the SolarStratos aircraft, a solar-powered two-seater aircraft, in Payerne, Switzerland, on Aug. 25, 2020. (Denis Balibouse via Reuters)

PAYERNE, Switzerland—A parachutist completed the world’s first jump from a solar-powered aircraft on Tuesday after the plane soared to a height of nearly 5,000 feet over western Switzerland,…

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[sunpowervegas]

SunPower’s solar panels to power the first piloted stratospheric solar flight

New Post has been published on http://www.mselectriclv.net/sunpowers-solar-panels-to-power-the-first-piloted-stratospheric-solar-flight/

SunPower’s solar panels to power the first piloted stratospheric solar flight

SolarStratos (prototype pictured) aims to reach the stratosphere more than 80,000 feet above Earth using SunPower solar technology /SunPower SunPower has joined the “Mission SolarStratos” expedition as the exclusive solar cell provider for its aircraft. […]

Click here to view original web page at www.pvbuzz.com

Known as one of the world’s most innovative and sustainable energy companies headquartered in California’s Silicon Valley, SunPower has a pioneering legacy of powering unique solar projects.

Within the next two years, SolarStratos is expected to be the first solar-powered plane to soar above the Earth’s troposphere and into the stratosphere – flying twice as high as a commercial airliner’s typical cruising altitude – without a drop of fossil fuel.

SunPower® Maxeon® solar cells were selected for SolarStratos aircraft’s because they are highly efficient, durable, lightweight, and about as thin as a human hair.

On the next generation SolarStratos plane, SunPower’s 24-percent efficient cells will be incorporated into the wings and horizontal stabilizer to power an electrical engine and charge a 20-kilowatt-hour (kWh) lithium-ion battery for energy supply when the sun is out of sight.

[sunpowervegas]

This 32kW plane will fly twice as high as commercial jets on SunPower

New Post has been published on http://www.mselectriclv.net/this-32kw-plane-will-fly-twice-as-high-as-commercial-jets-on-sunpower/

This 32kW plane will fly twice as high as commercial jets on SunPower

  SunPower isn’t just powering roofs and solar farms these days. The company, which touts its solar panels as the most durable and efficient on the market, is looking at other applications. I’d be hard pressed to find one as awesome as the upcoming Mission SolarStratos expedition which will be powered by its 22-24% efficient Maxeon™ solar cells.[…]

Click here to view original web page at electrek.co

The SolarStratos is an electric plane that has the flight characteristics of a low drag glider. It has extremely long thin wings and a very small profile. However it is outfitted with an electric motor, a very efficient front propeller, and wings and tail covered with around 24 square meters of solar panels. Inside fit up to 2 pilots in fighter configuration and what appears to be a 20kWh battery (nearly the same size as the 125 mile Hyundai IONIQ).

Interestingly this plane will not be pressurized, requiring the pilots to wear space suits that are also powered by the energy from the solar panels and stored in the battery.

Some stats from the press release (below):

Length: 8.5 meters – about 30 feet, or the distance from the end zone to the 10-yard line on an American football field

Wingspan: 24.8 meters – about 81 feet, or the length of two standard city buses

Weight: 450 kilograms – about as heavy as a grand piano; to make SolarStratos its lightest, the cabin will not be pressurized, requiring pilots to wear astronaut suits that are pressurized by solar energy

Engine: 32-kilowatt electrical engine, about one-third the size of what would power an electric vehicle

Energy: 22 square meters of SunPower Maxeon solar cells, each reaching 22 to 24 percent efficiency

Batteries: One 20-kilowatt lithium ion battery

Autonomy: Self-generates electricity with solar to power the plane for more than 12 hours

SunPower has been part of the solar industry consolidation of late amid lower profits, tax uncertainty and squeezing margins. Pairing up with SolarStratos is likely more marketing than actual new business model, however.

That said, and the reason it is interesting to us, is that we’re slowly moving toward electric powered flight being a reality for long haul aviation. Right now, electric aviation is limited to short flights with limited cargo but with improving battery technologies, stronger, lighter building materials and theoretically solar wings, range could be improved to where electric flight makes sense for many more applications.

Solar panels as thin as a hair, almost weightless and durable that can deliver 22-24% efficiency are an important part of that mix.

If this thing can get up to 60,000 feet and fly all day, we’re on our way.

[thinkflip]

Angela, Claire, Hans, Paul and Sam flew the Project Mobius wing they’ve been designing and building over the last few weeks - performance exceeded expectations and sets the scene for some long-duration solar flights in the coming month.

[thinkflip]

Project Mobius, achieved a milestone this week in between our recent rainy days - over 1 hour of completely solar-powered flight! Aaaaand… some crash testing.

[paulkiser1]

Is There a Planet Nine or Not?

Is There a Planet Nine or Not?

Is there a Planet Nine in our solar system? After Pluto got kicked out of the planet club most of woke up to the reality that there were only eight planets. There was no reason to believe that some mysterious Planet Nine out there that met the requirements of the club. We would have seen by now, correct?

Planet Nine and other orbits looking from above the solar eclipticNothing New In Planet…

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