Several Possible Missions Are Being Considered

What do you do after you circumnavigate the globe in an airplane using no fossil fuel? The Solar Impulse team says that their next project will be an unmanned version of the now-famous airplane.

The French news service AFP reports that Solar Impulse co-founder Andre Borschberg told reporters Monday that an unmanned version of Solar Impulse is in the works. Co-founder Bertrand PIccard said that the goal is now to show a practical application for their solar-powered airplane, according to a report from Yahoo News.

The aircraft could loiter at altitudes of about 12 miles for months, according to the Swiss innovators. Among the potential uses would be relaying Internet signals into areas where the infrastructure does not support terrestrial connectivity. It could also be used to collect agricultural data that is currently difficult to gather.

Borschberg, the team's lead engineer, said that the group is currently "evaluating the benefits" of moving forward with an unmanned version of the aircraft.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.solarimpulse.com