Latest news with #Piccard
IOL News
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Did you know that famed English bard William Shakespeare died because of a Covid-19 vaccination? Neither did we
Bismarck sinks Hood Bismarck, the feared German battleship, sinks the pride of the Royal Navy, HMS Hood in the North Atlantic, near Greenland, during World War II. 1837 Wild West figure Wild Bill Hickok is born in Troy Grove, Illinois. A frontiersman, lawman, marksman and army scout, he was shot dead on August 2, 1876 during a poker game by a drunk in the Number Ten saloon in Deadwood, in Dakota. In his hand, was a pair of eights and a pair of aces, the 'dead man's hand'. 1931 Auguste Piccard and Paul Kipfer make the first flight into Earth's stratosphere, from Augsburg, Germany, in a pressurised gondola borne beneath a balloon designed by Piccard. It was also a precursor to manned exploration of the ocean depths, also by Piccard. 1941 The Germany navy's feared battleship Bismarck, is sunk. HMS Rodney becomes the only battleship to torpedo another. 1942 Sailor Dorie Miller gets the Navy Cross for his reckless fight back at Pearl Harbor (he manned anti-aircraft guns – as depicted in the movies, Tora! Tora! Tora! and Pearl Harbor). 1942 Reinhard Heydrich, the darkest figure in the Nazi elite – Hitler's 'man with the iron heart', is ambushed and killed in Prague. 1963 The son of Kikuyu farmers, Jomo Kenyatta becomes Kenya's first prime minister. 1966 The 55th West German air force F-104 interceptor crashes – 292 of the 916 Starfighter fleet crashed, hence the name Witwenmacher (The Widowmaker). 2017 Pitched battles between Islamic State-linked militants and Philippine government troops in and around Marawi, leave 43 dead. 2017 Arsenal wins the FA Cup making Arsène Wenger the most successful manager in FA Cup history with seven titles. 2020 'I can't breathe': a video of African-American George Floyd's arrest and murder, while restrained in Minneapolis police custody, shows that he was pinned to the ground by police officer Derek Chauvin's knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Chauvin's action ignites global outrage. 2021 English playwright William Shakespeare reported by Argentine news channel Chanal 26 to have died after receiving the Covid-19 vaccine. The Bard died in 1616. 2021 French President Emmanuel Macron recognises France's role in the 1994 Rwandan Genocide after a meeting with Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Kigali, Rwanda. DAILY NEWS
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zero-emissions flights will become a reality by 2035, Bertrand Piccard says
My Wildest Prediction is a podcast series from Euronews Business where we dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries. In this episode, Tom Goodwin talks to Bertrand Piccard, Swiss psychiatrist, aviator, and global explorer, about green hydrogen planes and the Climate Impulse project. In 1999, the Swiss psychiatrist and aviator Bertrand Piccard, along with his friend and British pilot Brian Jones, completed the first non-stop balloon flight around the globe. Later in 2016, he achieved another milestone in the history of aviation, completing the first global circumnavigation in a solar-powered electric aeroplane with his partner André Borschberg. This accomplishment demonstrated that it is possible to make aviation greener by using renewable energy to fuel the flight. Piccard's innovative experiments continued, and in 2024 he started Climate Impulse with his friend and fellow explorer Raphaël Dinelli. This time, the goal is to build the first green hydrogen-powered aircraft to complete a non-stop tour of the world. Bertrand Piccard joined My Wildest Prediction to talk about this adventure and share his visionary ideas. 'I envisage the first commercial flight with passengers in a hydrogen-powered aeroplane by 2035,' Piccard told Euronews Business. The Swiss aviator's forecast aims to show it is possible to find solutions to climate problems. In 2023, aviation accounted for 2.5% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Its emissions have been increasing at a faster rate than any other mode of transport. Despite its negative impact on the environment, air transport is key to the European economy as it employs between 1.4-2 million people and contributes more than €110 billion to European GDP. To solve this issue, Piccard advocates for hydrogen, a colourless, highly inflammable gas. Hydrogen exists as a natural product, sometimes created by solar processes or geochemical reactions. Depending on the components driving the reaction, different types of hydrogen can be created. Piccard wants to focus on green hydrogen, which is carbon-free and produced from renewable energies. 'I want to use the purest and cleanest a new business that has to be made, a new industry, we need to create everything from scratch,' he said. Related What do hydrogen-powered trucks and cheese have in common? | Euronews Tech Talks Podcast Scientists are shocked by the discovery of white hydrogen in France: could it be Europe's fuel? In 2023, global hydrogen demand reached 97m tonnes. However, consumption remains centred on refining and the chemical sectors, and the demand is almost entirely covered by hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. Hydrogen for transportation is still being tested and developed, and its application continues to pose questions. Yet, Piccard believes it's crucial to try and look at the problem from a different perspective. 'Each time people think of problems, they think it's difficult. If you say it's a challenge, people will say Wow that's interesting,' the explorer said. The aviator argued that innovators can show a project is possible, but then industries need to invest in it to increase adoption and decrease the price of the new technology. We need the industries because they are the ones who are going to bring us solutions. The Climate Impulse project, unveiled in February 2024, aims to create the world's first green hydrogen-powered aeroplane designed for a non-stop, zero-emission circumnavigation of the globe. The aircraft is currently being built in France, with Syesnqo as its main technological partner. Other key collaborators include the OCP Group in Morocco and the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic. 'We have to be very light and very stiff, but we also have to keep the hydrogen liquid at -253°C in thermal tanks. And this has never been done before,' Piccard explained. So far, the engineers working on the project have succeeded in creating the fuel cell and the wings, but there's one remaining major obstacle. 'The challenge is to have the propulsion chain with the hydrogen cell, electric motors, all working together,' Piccard explained. The flight is expected to take off in 2028 and last nine days. But Bertrand Piccard already has more ideas for its next possible adventure. Learn more on Euronews Business podcast My Wildest Prediction.
Euronews
27-02-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Zero-emissions flights will become a reality by 2035, Bertrand Piccard says
My Wildest Prediction is a podcast series from Euronews Business where we dare to imagine the future with business and tech visionaries. In this episode, Tom Goodwin talks to Bertrand Piccard, Swiss psychiatrist, aviator, and global explorer, about green hydrogen planes and the Climate Impulse project. In 1999, the Swiss psychiatrist and aviator Bertrand Piccard, along with his friend and British pilot Brian Jones, completed the first non-stop balloon flight around the globe. Later in 2016, he achieved another milestone in the history of aviation, completing the first global circumnavigation in a solar-powered electric aeroplane with his partner André Borschberg. This accomplishment demonstrated that it is possible to make aviation greener by using renewable energy to fuel the flight. Piccard's innovative experiments continued, and in 2024 he started Climate Impulse with his friend and fellow explorer Raphaël Dinelli. This time, the goal is to build the first green hydrogen-powered aircraft to complete a non-stop tour of the world. Bertrand Piccard joined My Wildest Prediction to talk about this adventure and share his visionary ideas. Hydrogen for mobility 'I envisage the first commercial flight with passengers in a hydrogen-powered aeroplane by 2035,' Piccard told Euronews Business. The Swiss aviator's forecast aims to show it is possible to find solutions to climate problems. In 2023, aviation accounted for 2.5% of global energy-related CO2 emissions. Its emissions have been increasing at a faster rate than any other mode of transport. Despite its negative impact on the environment, air transport is key to the European economy as it employs between 1.4-2 million people and contributes more than €110 billion to European GDP. To solve this issue, Piccard advocates for hydrogen, a colourless, highly inflammable gas. Hydrogen exists as a natural product, sometimes created by solar processes or geochemical reactions. Depending on the components driving the reaction, different types of hydrogen can be created. Piccard wants to focus on green hydrogen, which is carbon-free and produced from renewable energies. 'I want to use the purest and cleanest a new business that has to be made, a new industry, we need to create everything from scratch,' he said. In 2023, global hydrogen demand reached 97m tonnes. However, consumption remains centred on refining and the chemical sectors, and the demand is almost entirely covered by hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. Hydrogen for transportation is still being tested and developed, and its application continues to pose questions. Yet, Piccard believes it's crucial to try and look at the problem from a different perspective. 'Each time people think of problems, they think it's difficult. If you say it's a challenge, people will say Wow that's interesting, ' the explorer said. The aviator argued that innovators can show a project is possible, but then industries need to invest in it to increase adoption and decrease the price of the new technology. We need the industries because they are the ones who are going to bring us solutions. Bertrand Piccard Explorer The Climate Impulse project The Climate Impulse project, unveiled in February 2024, aims to create the world's first green hydrogen-powered aeroplane designed for a non-stop, zero-emission circumnavigation of the globe. The aircraft is currently being built in France, with Syesnqo as its main technological partner. Other key collaborators include the OCP Group in Morocco and the University Mohammed VI Polytechnic. 'We have to be very light and very stiff, but we also have to keep the hydrogen liquid at -253°C in thermal tanks. And this has never been done before,' Piccard explained. So far, the engineers working on the project have succeeded in creating the fuel cell and the wings, but there's one remaining major obstacle. 'The challenge is to have the propulsion chain with the hydrogen cell, electric motors, all working together,' Piccard explained. The flight is expected to take off in 2028 and last nine days. But Bertrand Piccard already has more ideas for its next possible adventure.
Euronews
17-02-2025
- Euronews
The European hydrogen-powered plane that will attempt a non-stop flight around the world
From a workshop on France's Atlantic coast, aviation pioneer Bertand Piccard and partners are feverishly ramping up preparations for a flight that could completely change the course of aviation. When Piccard spearheaded a much-hyped flight around the world in a plane powered by sunlight a decade ago, it raised awareness about climate change but held little promise of revolutionising air travel. Now, the 66-year-old Swiss adventurer behind Solar Impulse is aiming higher, in hopes of heading toward greener commercial flight than that of fossil fuel-powered planes today - this time using super-cold liquid hydrogen. Climate Impulse is a project that was started last February to fly a two-seater plane around the globe non-stop over nine days fueled by what's known as green hydrogen. That's hydrogen split out of water molecules using renewable electricity through a process called electrolysis. The Climate Impulse team, whose backers include Airbus and a science incubator called Syensqo (pronounced "science-co") born from Belgian pharmaceuticals company Solvay, presented its first-year progress to journalists this week in Les Sables d'Olonne, an oceanside town better known as host to the Vendee Globe round-the-world sailing race. When is Climate Impulse due to get airborne? First test flights are planned next year, but the grueling round-the-world trip is set for 2028. Made with lightweight composites, the plane is dependent on several untested innovations and is far from a sure bet. Piccard says a major airplane manufacturer wouldn't take on the risk of producing a prototype such as Climate Impulse in case it fails. "It's my job to be a pioneer," he said in an interview. "We have to show it's possible, then it's a big incentive for the others to continue". Even if the project is successful, experts say green hydrogen-powered flight on a commercial scale would be decades away at best. The project has lured tens of millions of euros of investment, and the team of dozens of staffers is growing. The solar-powered plane was a technological feat in 2015, but wasn't scalable, said Climate Impulse engineer and co-pilot Raphael Dinelli. Limited in range, that plane had to make more than a dozen stops on its trip around the world. Climate Impulse is supposed to take off unassisted, fly some 40,000 km (about 25,000 miles) around Earth along the Equator and return to its starting point with no mid-air refueling - and with no stops at all. It's my job to be a pioneer. We have to show it's possible, then it's a big incentive for the others to continue. Bertand Piccard Aviation pioneer How does Climate Impulse fly? The controlled release of liquid hydrogen from ultra-insulated tanks under the airplane's wings produces energy that seeps into the membrane of a fuel cell that powers the plane. "The plane has the wingspan of an Airbus 320: 34 m (about 110 ft). It weighs 5-1/2 tons and it flies at 180 km/h — that means 100 knots at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) altitude," Piccard said on Thursday. One aim is to draw on energy from the "turbulence section" of the atmosphere, which airlines could also use one day to help save fuel, he said. Because it's hydrogen, the only emissions will be water vapor. Still, outside experts caution that the environmental impact of such water-vapor "contrails" remains unknown in a real-world or large-scale scenario. The International Energy Agency says air travel is responsible for about 2 per cent of global emissions of carbon dioxide. Hydrogen has been used in flights for decades but as a gas, not a liquid. Use of liquid hydrogen will take time to scale up. Fossil fuels, which are cheaper and more efficient, still produce most hydrogen today. Many governments want to produce more green hydrogen, but for now, the world can't make enough clean electricity for power needs on land, let alone to generate enough for wide-scale use by planes in the air. What happens next? In the last year, the team has built the cockpit shell, started building the wing spar, and finalized interior components. They include swivel seats, a bunk and a stationary bicycle-like workout system to promote blood circulation for the co-pilots who will be cramped in a small cockpit in low-oxygen conditions over the nine days. The hardest parts await. Tests are planned this year on the fuel cells and propulsion systems, to see if the electric motor, propeller and batteries could work for an initial fully-electric flight phase. The trickiest part is to regulate the flow of liquid hydrogen to ensure efficient consumption over the longest range possible, Dinelli said. Another challenge: the liquid hydrogen must be maintained at -253 degrees Celsius (-423 Fahrenheit), or nearly absolute zero. Construction of a leak-proof tank is essential. Liquid hydrogen is highly flammable, so any seepage could have devastating results. We have not had a 'Tesla moment' in aviation yet. Hydrogen has the potential to be that for aviation, which is why it's worth doing this right. Nikhil Sachdeva Aviation expert, Roland Berger Is there a future for green hydrogen-powered flight? Liquid hydrogen, until now, has perhaps most prominently been known as a propellant to blast rockets into space. Aviation's share of carbon emissions is relatively small, but growing faster than in any other industry because development of electric-powered planes trails far behind electric cars and trucks on the ground. Batteries are heavy in EVs on roads today, and keeping down battery weight in planes will be crucial for electric-powered flight. "We have not had a 'Tesla moment' in aviation yet," said Nikhil Sachdeva, an expert in how the aviation sector can transition to more climate-friendly technologies at consulting firm Roland Berger. "Hydrogen has the potential to be that for aviation, which is why it's worth doing this right". Using super-cold liquid hydrogen is "extraordinarily difficult, and we can barely do it for a few minutes right now. And here we're talking about doing it safely for hours," Sachdeva said. But Solar Impulse faced pessimism too, he added, and Piccard's team has "proven it can do what people would consider impossible".
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Innovators gear up work on ‘green' hydrogen plane with plans for nonstop 9-day trip around Earth
LES SABLES D'OLONNE, France (AP) — When aviation pioneer Bertrand Piccard a decade ago spearheaded a much-hyped flight around the world in a plane powered by sunlight, it raised awareness about climate change but held little promise of revolutionizing air travel. Now, the 66-year-old Swiss adventurer behind Solar Impulse is aiming higher, in hopes of heading toward greener commercial flight, this time using super-cooled liquid hydrogen. From a workshop on France's Atlantic coast, Piccard and his partners are ramping up Climate Impulse, a project started last February to fly a two-seater plane around the globe nonstop over nine days fueled by what's known as green hydrogen. That's hydrogen split out of water molecules using renewable electricity through a process called electrolysis. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The Climate Impulse team, whose backers include Airbus and a science incubator called Syensqo (pronounced 'science-co') born from Belgian pharmaceuticals company Solvay, presented its first-year progress to reporters Thursday in Les Sables d'Olonne, an oceanside town better known as host to the Vendee Globe round-the-world sailing race. When will Climate Impulse get off the ground? First test flights are planned next year, but the grueling round-the-world trip is set for 2028. Made with lightweight composites, the plane is dependent on several untested innovations and is far from a sure bet. Piccard says a major airplane manufacturer wouldn't take on the risk of producing a prototype such as Climate Impulse in case it fails. 'It's my job to be a pioneer," he said in an interview. 'We have to show it's possible, then it's a big incentive for the others to continue.' Even if the project is successful, experts say green hydrogen-powered flight on a commercial scale would be decades away at best. The project has lured tens of millions of euros (dollars) of investment, and the team of dozens of staffers is growing. The solar-powered plane a decade ago was a technological feat, but wasn't scalable, said Raphael Dinelli, the Climate Impulse engineer and co-pilot. To accommodate 100 passengers, a souped-up Solar Impulse version would need solar-paneled wings with a span up to 300 meters, he said. Limited in range, the plane flown in 2015 also made 14 stops during its globe-circling trip. The goal for Climate Impulse is to take off unassisted, fly some 40,000 kilometers (about 25,000 miles) around Earth along the Equator at a gentle speed of about 200 kilometers per hour (125 mph), and return to its starting point with no mid-air refueling — and with no stops at all. How is Climate Impulse supposed to fly? The controlled release of liquid hydrogen from ultra-insulated tanks under the airplane's wings causes it to heat into a gas, a bit like how pressurized water vapor powered 19th-century steam engines. But instead of a mechanical operation in a steam engine, energy from the hydrogen evaporation seeps into the membrane of a fuel cell that powers the plane. Because it's hydrogen, the only emissions will be water vapor. Still, outside experts caution that the environmental impact of such water-vapor 'contrails' remains unknown in a real-world or large-scale scenario. Many minds have been looking at alternatives to carbon-based fuels to clean up air travel, which the International Energy Agency says is responsible for about 2% of global emissions of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Hydrogen has been used in flights for decades but as a gas, not a liquid. Use of liquid hydrogen will take time to scale up. Fossil fuels, which are cheaper and more efficient, still produce most hydrogen today. Many governments want to produce more green hydrogen, but for now, the world can't make enough clean electricity for power needs on land, let alone to generate enough for wide-scale use by planes in the air. What's progress like so far, and what's next? In the last year, the team has built the cockpit shell, started building the wing spar, and finalized interior components. They include swivel seats, a bunk and a stationary bicycle-like workout system to promote blood circulation for the two co-pilots who will be cramped in a small plane in low-oxygen conditions over nine days. The hardest parts await. Tests are planned this year on the fuel cells and propulsion systems, to see if the electric motor, propeller and batteries could work for an initial fully-electric flight phase. The trickiest part is to regulate the flow of liquid hydrogen to ensure efficient consumption over the longest range possible, Dinelli said. Another challenge: the liquid hydrogen must be maintained at minus 253 degrees Celsius (minus 423 Fahrenheit), or nearly absolute zero. Construction of a leak-proof tank is essential. Liquid hydrogen is highly flammable, so any seepage could have devastating results. What are the prospects for green hydrogen in flight? Liquid hydrogen, until now, has perhaps most prominently been known as a propellant to blast rockets into space. Airbus calls hydrogen an important 'pathway' in its aim to get low-carbon commercial planes to the market by 2035, and cites estimates that hydrogen could cut carbon dioxide emissions from aviation by half. Powering planes by electricity is far behind the adoption of electric vehicles on the ground, says one outside expert. 'We have not had a 'Tesla moment' in aviation yet,' said Nikhil Sachdeva, a principal at consulting firm Roland Berger who has no connection to the project. 'Hydrogen has the potential to be that for aviation, which is why it's worth doing this right.' The weight of batteries, important for electric vehicles on the ground, is even more important in aviation. Plus, using super-cold liquid hydrogen is 'extraordinarily difficult, and we can barely do it for a few minutes right now. And here we're talking about doing it safely for hours," Sachdeva said. ___ Keaten reported from Lausanne, Switzerland. ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
