Solar Impulse: The FDFA hails the next stage of the adventure
Bern, 21.04.2016 - The FDFA welcomes Solar Impulse's departure on the second part of its round-the-world flight. The project, which is being conducted by Swiss nationals Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, shows how much inventiveness, innovation and unique projects are paving the way to the world's future with regard to sources of energy.
The Department Federal of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) welcomes the departure of Solar Impulse, which is the product of a fruitful partnership between the Swiss Confederation and the project initiators. Since November 2003, when the project was launched, the Confederation, in particular the EPFL, DDPS, DETEC, DFF through FOBL and FDFA, has provided material, administrative and financial support for this aircraft, which is propelled solely by the energy of the sun and marked its first success with the completion of the first part of its round-the-world flight from March to July 2015.
This aircraft, a symbol of Switzerland's pioneering and pragmatic spirit and representative of the strength of the Swiss cleantech sector, took off today for its flight from Hawaii to Abu Dhabi, in a series of stages. This round-the-world flight covering approximately 35,000 km, at speeds of 50 to 100 km/hour, has broken and will continue to break Swiss aeronautical records with its ocean crossings.
Through this collaboration with the Swiss federal institutes of technology and Swiss companies, Switzerland as a whole is represented in this aircraft – a symbol of an innovative nation in terms of sustainable development and environmental protection.
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