Piccard's challenge: in 2028, the first non-stop world tour on a hydrogen-powered plane

Counteracting climate change? Broadly possible. All it takes is the will to do so. And the problem, which is there for all to see, can become an opportunity. The philosophy of Swiss aviator and psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard will translate into an extraordinary new mission, announced in these hours and planned for 2028: it is called "Climate Impulse" plans to make the first nonstop flight around the world aboard a plane powered by green hydrogen, with the support of the scientific company Syensqo, the main partner of the unique mission. Construction of the aircraft, which has just begun, follows two years of research, development and design supported by Airbus, Daher, Capgemini and with the participation of Ariane Group. Now two more years of testing are needed: then this unique aircraft will try to fly nonstop around the Equator (together with Bertrand Piccard, there will be pilot Raphaël Dinelli). "A journey," the two explain, "that will push the boundaries of what is possible and aims to restore confidence in scientific solutions for the common good.
The main challenge concerns the ability to create thermal reservoirs capable of maintaining a constant hydrogen temperature (-253°C), thus opening new horizons in aviation technology. Bertrand Piccard is no stranger to such feats: with Solar Impulse he had flown around the world in a solar-powered plane. A feat in the wake of those of his grandfather Auguste, who invented the pressurized capsule to explore the stratosphere, and his father Jacques, who took his bathyscaphe to the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
"To explore the world, but also to send an ecological message," he explains. "In a world in the grip of pessimism and so-called eco-anxieties," Piccard adds, "we need to restore hope and stimulate action by demonstrating disruptive solutions that will lead to sustainable progress. Climate Impulse will therefore not just fly around the world in a hydrogen-powered plane, it will do more: it will explore new ways of thinking and acting to promote a better quality of life." "We are excited to be part of the project," says Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo, "and to be able to demonstrate the power of sustainable innovations that will lead to carbon neutrality and take a major leap forward for all of humanity.