Solar-powered airplanes: A historical perspective and future challenges

Solar-powered airplanes are studied in this research. A solar-powered airplane consumes solar energy instead of traditional fossil fuels; thus it has received a significant amount of interest from researchers and the public alike. The historical development of solar-powered airplanes is reviewed. Notable prototypes, particularly those sponsored by the government, are introduced in detail. Possible future applications of solar-powered airplanes in the civilian and military fields are proposed. Finally, the challenges being faced by solar-powered airplanes are discussed. This study proposes that the solar-powered airplanes are potential alternatives to some present technologies and that they complement current satellites, traditional airplanes, airships, and balloons. However, these planes require further development and enormous technical obstacles must be addressed.