Far air travel that is harmless to the environment is becoming a reality, thanks to the airship “Solarship on.” This airship plans to travel approximately 40,000 km around the equator in 20 days, without emitting harmful substances (Solarship, 2020).
Measuring 151 meters in length, the upper surface of the airship will be covered with solar panels with a total area of about 4,800 square meters. During the day, these solar panels will power the electrical systems of the airship and store energy for nighttime use. The stored energy will be used to convert water into hydrogen, which will then fuel the airship’s movement during the night (Solarship, 2020).
The airship will be operated by a team of three individuals: Michelle Tonyini, a former French astronaut and Air Force pilot, who survived a plane crash, and Dorin Burneton, a pilot-acrobat. Additionally, Bertrand Picacan, an adventurer who completed the first round-the-world balloon trip in 1999 and piloted the Slar Impulse 2 during its solar-powered round-the-world flight in 2015-16, will be part of the team (Solarship, 2020).
Although the airship will have an average speed of only about 83 km/h, it possesses several advantages. One notable advantage is its ability to take off and land almost anywhere, eliminating the need for a runway (Solarship, 2020).
Several projects, such as airyacht and airlander, are considering the use of airships as luxurious vehicles, while others envision them as the future of environmentally friendly cargo transportation (Solarship, 2020).
However, it is important to note that despite the use of renewable energy, the airship relies on a non-renewable component. Its rigid structure is filled with helium, which cannot be restored once it escapes into the atmosphere. The EUROAIRSHIP team plans to embark on its trip around the world in 2026, primarily following the equator at an altitude of about 6,000 meters (Solarship, 2020).
Sources:
– Solarship on. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uacsk67dzag
– Airyacht. Retrieved from https://airyacht.ch/
– Airlander 10. Retrieved from