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Home | Basket and experiments |
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Future of solar balloons
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In a time where fossil energy is expensive and polluting, developing projects with solar energy opens up new perspectives.
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Solar balloons, which are environmentally friendly, will be able to lift payloads and could replace polluting and expensive means of transport. |
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To conclude, solar balloons are most cost-effective than balloons using helium due to the envelope and the gas used. However, they request specific weather conditions, such as virtually no ground wind and a cloudless sky. We paid the price during some flight tests when ringgings failed due to excessive wind or when, as a cumulus occurred, the balloon landed 5km from the its starting point instead of the 200km scheduled. Moreover, in order to lift a given payload the volume of solar balloon is more important than this one of ballon inflated with helium. The solar balloon purpose could be more effective on ice field, where the glare of the sun on the snow is important and the ambient temperature is very low. For example, it could carry loads at cheap cost - 50 € for a balloon lifting a 100 kg load. Source : http://transpolair.free.fr/sciences/ballon_solaire/index.htm
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Nowadays, ARCA, a Romanian aerospace and aeronautic association established in 1999, develops new technologies to implement private-manned space flights. Balloons using this technology are being tested by ARCA in order to launch lightweight satellites or manned capsules. Actually, a voluminous solar balloon – expected to reach 350 000m3 – will carry in June a capsule which could accommodate above 22,000 m. At this altitude, air friction is less important and it is no longer a problem (the weight of Ariane rocket is 400 tons compared to its first stage – 350 tons – whose purpose is to pass through the atmosphere of the Earth) ARCA, http://www.arcaspace.ro/.
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Solar balloons could start a new career, as they are cheap and they protect environment.
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