The first Solar Energy powered airplane will go around the world in 2010

The sun is an infinite energy source, and it will be the one that works as fuel to a new airplane generation thanks to the shrewdness and tenacity of a Suisse adventurer named Bertrand Piccard.
This is the project Solar impulse which is building an airplane supposed to go around the world impelled only by solar power.  This trip would be made by Piccard and his colleague Brian Jones.  Both adventurers gave their first trip around the world in an aerostatic balloon without scales in 1999.
Creators and supporters of the project think that the future of our planet depends on the development of new technologies more than a decrease of our mobility or our quality of life.  That way, Solar Impulse pretends to help progress in a non aggressive way to our environment.

Efficient Alternative Energies
The European Space Agency have made available to the Solar Impulse all of the Technologies developed until know, through the Technology Transfer Programme.
The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne acts as the official science advisor of the Project.
Solar Impulse main purpose is to promote the use of alternative energies in aviation, in this case solar energy, which is infinite and clean compared with the polluting agents and finite fossil fuels that are used these days.
Even though given the airplane design will never be able to carry a lot of passengers, Solar Impulse tries above it all to arouse interest in the public about those technologies able to support a sustainable development, as solar energy does.
Sun is the main source of energy of the satellites, such as it is for the Piccard`s plane. The European space industry has developed some of the most efficient energy intelligence systems, solar cells, and energy storage systems, with which  the rise of the Solar Impulse will be accomplished without any traditional fuel formula been used.
Project Timeline
The flight around the world without stops its planned to happen in 2010, not in 2006 as it was said when the project came out in 2003.  In an update of the project that jus went public, it is confirmed that the prototype will be lead by three people:  Bertrand Piccard, president and founder of the project, Brian Jones, from the sustainable development program, and André Borschberg, executive manager of the project.
The concept design of the plane swift by solar energy its already going on, and the prototype will be built in 2007. During 2008 the fist flight test will be performed and will include nightly flights, and in 2009 the fist flight of more than a day will be made.  Finally in 2010 the Solar Impulse will go around the world without any scale.
The flight Hill be done by stages of 3 to 5 days and Hill go from best to east situated between 10 an 30 degrees of the Ecuador line to take advantage of the air flows and the sun rays.
The airplane will be covered with photovoltaic cells and it will use batteries to store all the energy received, so it can keep flying during the nights.

Surpassing the Helios
Solar Impulse first challenge will be to be able to fly through the night, as Helios, the NASA´s the solar plane couldn’t do it. Helios purpose was to watch the atmosphere, but it crashed as soon as it took of.
Solar Impulse will try to accomplish this technological challenge in 2010 and compare its accomplishment with the one of Charles Lindberg and Amy Johnson, the fist women to accomplish a flight from England to Australia with a solar energy impelled plane, which is the dream of the Solar Impulse promoters.