No longer 80, but 20 days to go around the world… a sustainable project powered by hydrogen and solar energy: the French start-up Euro Airship is working on the Solar Airship One airship which is supposed to accomplish this feat.
Debut is planned for 2026. The airship will make the route in about 20 days, flying over 25 countries. The goal is to travel the 40,000 kilometers along the equator from west to east without landing. The average altitude would be around 6,000 meters.
Solar Airship One is 151 meters long and contains 50,000 cubic meters of helium. During the day, 4,800 square meters of solar panels provide energy, while at night hydrogen is used to power a fuel cell.
The three founding members of Euro Airship, Marc Senepart, Marie-Christine Bilbow and Jean Lescat, want to use the project to prove that it is possible to fly long distances without using fossil fuels. They have been studying the project for around ten years, and the technology company Capgemini has also been involved in the construction of the airship for three years.
