Solar powered aircraft are aircraft that are powered by solar energy. They use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electricity, which is then used to power the aircraft’s electric motors. There have been several solar powered aircraft projects, including Solar Impulse, a Swiss long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft project that completed a circumnavigation of the Earth in 2016[2]. Another example is Skydweller Aero, which aims to produce the world’s first commercially viable “pseudo-satellite” — a solar-powered airplane capable of staying in the air for months[4]. Airbus also has a flagship program called Solar Flight, which aims to harness solar energy into a rechargeable energy storage system, thereby enabling the aircraft to fly at night with unlimited autonomy[3]. Solar powered aircraft have potential applications in fields such as disaster response, monitoring natural resources, and search and rescue operations[4].
Citations:
[1] https://www.solar-flight.com
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_Impulse
[3] https://www.airbus.com/en/innovation/low-carbon-aviation/solar-flight
[4] https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/skydweller-solar-powered-plane-solar-impulse-climate-scn-spc-intl/index.html
[5] https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/inside-first-solar-powered-flight-around-world-180968000/