You might want to let Airbus know then that they are wasting their time.
Zephyr ? unmanned aircraft system UAS

Whilst you are correct that launch costs are still declining rapidly. Its no where close to being cheaper, especially when you take the ground segment into account. Fundamentally its far harder to address most of the intended applications from 300+KM altitude than from 10-25KM in the stratosphere

@ion berkley

While long endurance solar cell powered flights in the stratosphere by Helios NASA - Helios and Zephyr Zephyr ? unmanned aircraft system UAS type aircraft are demonstrably feasible - although not validated by extended flight. There are also any number of UAS that are battery powered both commercial and toys. The implications from the media releases that in a few years South West and Easyjet can be expected to be flying pax on all electric aircraft is completely false. Solar impulse like Gossamer Albatross only shows that there may be niche uses. The amount of energy for powered flight has not altered so the energy density has to be sufficient. Currently there is no battery or electrical generation system that provides anything close to hydrocarbon fuel energy densities which exceed battery capabilities by several orders of magnitude.

Heading for Seville. Solar Impulse - 15th Leg from New York to Seville

The Atlantic Crossing
Another multiple-day flight is on its way over the Atlantic Ocean. Bertrand Piccard will be making this first transatlantic solar and electric crossing with zero fuel and zero emissions.
The flight will last between approximately 90 hours and 110 hours, representing the longest distance we have had to fly this year. He took off at 6:30AM UTC, 8:30AM CET and 2:30AM EDT on June 20th from JFK in New York and will be landing in Seville Airport over three days later.

braver man than me for sure...................

Doing well. Close to the Iberian peninsula now.

Flight Time 2d 23h 56m 4s
Distance 6272 km (100 %)
Altitude 278 ft (85 m)

They had hoped for Le Bourget, but as any football fan knows, France covered by storms.

https://www.periscope.tv/w/ajor2DFET...34sYfeko3j3SFq

Replay of the landing as broadcast live on periscope, from the ground crew on the tarmac.

Mickjoebill

Now en route CAI - AUH


Expected to take about 48 hours. Great achievement -if it makes it - but slightly clouded in my view by the cooked batteries which had to be replaced.
Still round-the-world on solar power alone is quite something.

https://www.solarimpulse.com/leg-17-...o-to-Abu_Dhabi

It's an impressive achievement. Good luck to them with the Arabian heat.

My goodness >30kts at 30,000 feet.

They were doing 25 kts in the climb to that altitude. Impressive wing design.

Their flight planning was quite intriguing, takeoff at dawn to avoid temperature and winds. Hold off the coast of Saudi for a number of hours during the hottest part of the day, therefore avoiding extremely unpleasant temperatures and thermals.

Looking forward to seeing them complete the journey tomorrow.

completed flight
 

approx 4 am local time

Safely down at Al Bateen Executive Airport, downtown Abu Dhabi. (Not at AUH).
Great achievement. Hadn't appreciated it's unpressurised so 30,000 ft is even more impressive.

Wonder what Picard's next project will be ...

yes - well done - some impressive engineering and flight planning !!!

er...maybe a couple of you missed the point. Experimental and Pioneering it was... bringing together and building a team capable of utilizing renewable energy to accomplish something that has NEVER been done before. Flying Round the WORLD using absolutely NO (Fossil) FUEL !! Now how much did that cab cost the other day back to the airport?? Tesla would be pleased... and so am I. Well done to ALL who played their part in the team.

Most intresting question. And obviously what has been learned.

But for now congratulations are in order!

So, just to put this in context, a massively expensive Solar plane takes months to do the job a Russian dude has managed in 11 days in a balloon.

Russian priest breaks round-the-world ballooning record | Australasia | News | The Independent

That guy didn't do anything close to the kms that the Solar Impulse did. "Round the World"? No, I think it's Round the Southern Hemisphere".

Hi,

Fot the flight only yes .. but this flying was impossible if not a crew at each stop point .. and those used a big amount of fossil fuel :)