Piccard (L) and Borschberg – the two pioneers
and pilots who flew the Solar Impulse
The team of engineers and technicians behind
the success of the Solar Impulse
ENGINEERS AND PARTNERS
Piccard initiated the Solar Impulse project in
November 2003 after undertaking a feasibility
study in partnership with the Swiss research
institute École Polytechnique Fédérale de
Lausanne (EPFL) . Borschberg directed the
construction of the aircraft and preparation of
flight missions. By 2009, they had assembled
a multi-disciplinary team of 50 engineers
and technical specialists from six countries,
assisted by about 100 external advisers and 80
technological partners.
The project, financed by a number of private
companies and individuals, also received
around CHF 6 million (US$6.4 million) in funding
from the Swiss Government. Financial backers
included Omega SA, Solvay, Schindler, ABB and
Peter Diamandis. The EPFL, the European Space
Agency and Dassault Systemes provided technical
expertise, while SunPower provided the aircraft’s
The Solar Impulse flying over different parts
of the world. Top to bottom: New York, Cairo,
Mandalay and Seville
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