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Solar-Powered Flight Grounded By Equipment Bug

Posted by timothy on from the for-want-of-a-nail dept.

crimeandpunishment writes "If your plane is powered by the sun, it's tough to fly if your crew is in the dark. A 24-hour test flight for the world's first solar-powered round-the-world flight had to be postponed Thursday due to an equipment problem that would have left mission control out of touch with the technology on the experimental aircraft. When they're able to make this test flight, they hope by flying all day they'll be able to fully charge the batteries, then use the stored energy to power the plane all night."

6 of 28 comments (clear)

  1. Solar plane... by girlintraining · · Score: 2, Funny

    People think solar power is renewable. What are they going to do when the Sun burns out, huh? HUH?

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    1. Re:Solar plane... by polar+red · · Score: 3, Funny

      that depends on whether fusion power is still 50 years away by then.

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    2. Re:Solar plane... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      There is as yet insufficient data for a meaningful answer.

  2. Note to self by SnarfQuest · · Score: 2, Funny

    Developers logbook...

    Note: Solar cells do not work at night. Maybe add lunar cells?

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  3. Re:Why charge? by demonbug · · Score: 2, Funny

    Ok, nevermind me... this was a test/preparation flight before the actual around the world flight, which would certainly take much longer than 24 hours.

    Yeah, I'm guessing there aren't too many solar-powered aircraft around that can manage 1,000 miles per hour (well, maybe in a vacuum... straight down).

  4. USS Enterprise by by+(1706743) · · Score: 2, Funny
    From TFA:

    "If it doesn't work, the mission control is blind," said Piccard.

    If captain of the Enterprise advises against it, it's a good call to postpone the flight. (Also, people, learn to spell "Picard.")