Bertrand Piccard

Bertrand Piccard is a man who loves to fly.

He once flew a big balloon around the world. This trip took 19 days. He also flew a special plane. This plane uses light from the sun for power. He wants to keep our Earth clean. He looks for new ways to help our world. He even drove a car that uses gas from water. Bertrand loves to try things that seem hard.

Bertrand Piccard is an explorer from Switzerland.

His family has been exploring for many years. His grandfather flew to the stratosphere, which is a very high part of the sky. His father explored the deep ocean.

Piccard has done many big things. In 1999, he flew a balloon around the world. He and Brian Jones flew the Breitling Orbiter 3. This trip took 19 days and 21 hours. They used jet streams to carry them. These are fast winds high in the air.

He also led a project called Solar Impulse. This was the first plane to fly around the world using only solar power. Solar power comes from the sun. He worked with André Borschberg to finish this trip in 2016.

Piccard wants to help our planet. He started the Solar Impulse Foundation. This group finds new ways to help the Earth. They look for clean ways to make things. They have found 1,000 good ideas so far. He even set a record driving a car that uses hydrogen. This type of car uses gas from water to move.

Bertrand Piccard is a famous explorer from Switzerland.

He is also a doctor and an environmentalist. He comes from a family of great explorers. His grandfather, Auguste Piccard, flew to the stratosphere in 1931. His father, Jacques Piccard, went to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960. Even his great uncle and aunt were balloonists. Piccard loves to try things that people say are impossible. He has spent his life studying flight and how people act in hard situations.

One of his biggest trips happened in a special balloon.

In 1999, Piccard and Brian Jones flew the Breitling Orbiter 3. This craft was egg-shaped and made of carbon-composite. It was sixteen feet long and seven feet wide. They did not use fuel to move forward. Instead, they used jet streams to carry them around the Earth. This trip lasted 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes. They flew 25,361 miles before landing in Egypt.

Piccard also led a project to fly using only sunlight.

He started the Solar Impulse project in 2003. He worked with André Borschberg to build a solar-powered plane. The team had fifty specialists from six different countries. This plane could fly at night using stored energy. In 2015, they began a trip around the world. They flew through places like India, China, and the United States. On July 26, 2016, they finished their trip around the globe.

Piccard uses his fame to help protect the Earth.

He started the Solar Impulse Foundation to find clean ideas. This group looks for ways to help the environment. They check if new ideas are good for the planet and for business. By April 2021, they found 1,000 great solutions. He was also named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Environment Programme. He even set a record in 2019 driving a hydrogen car for 778 kilometers.

His work connects science to the way we live. He shows us how we can use the sun and hydrogen to move. These things help us use cleaner energy. His foundation helps leaders choose the best ways to protect nature. He wants to help the world move to a sustainable economy. This means using ways of living that do not hurt the planet. Piccard proves that even the hardest jobs can be finished with teamwork.

Bertrand Piccard is a Swiss explorer, psychiatrist, and environmentalist.

He is known for pushing the limits of aviation and environmental technology. Piccard belongs to a family with four generations of explorers. His grandfather, Auguste Piccard, was the first to fly to the stratosphere in 1931. His father, Jacques Piccard, was the first to reach the bottom of the Mariana Trench in 1960. This family history shaped his interest in flight and human behavior in extreme situations. He views impossible challenges as reasons to try harder.

In 1999, Piccard achieved a major milestone in ballooning. He and Brian Jones completed the first successful non-stop balloon circumnavigation of the globe. They used a craft called the Breitling Orbiter 3. This vessel was egg-shaped and made of carbon-composite material. It measured sixteen feet in length and seven feet in diameter. Unlike traditional aircraft, this balloon did not use fuel for forward motion. Instead, the team worked with meteorologists to find specific jet streams. These high-altitude winds carried the craft 25,361 miles around the planet. The journey lasted 19 days, 21 hours, and 47 minutes before they landed in Egypt.

Following his success in ballooning, Piccard turned his attention to solar energy. In 2003, he announced the Solar Impulse project in cooperation with the EPFL. He wanted to create a long-range aircraft powered entirely by the sun. Construction began in 2007, and he conducted test flights with André Borschberg in 2009. The project required a massive multi-disciplinary team. By 2006, he had gathered fifty specialists from six different countries. They were also assisted by about one hundred outside advisers. Because of this international funding, the Solar Impulse is considered a European craft.

The Solar Impulse aircraft demonstrated several technological breakthroughs. In 2010, the Solar Impulse 1 (Si1) completed its first nighttime flight. This proved that solar energy could be stored for use when the sun was not shining. In 2012, the plane made an intercontinental flight from Switzerland to Morocco. This trip involved two legs, with Borschberg flying from Switzerland to Spain and Piccard flying from Spain to Morocco. In 2013, the team flew across the United States from California to New York City. These flights showed the potential for solar power in long-distance aviation.

In 2015, Piccard and Borschberg began a historic round-the-world solar flight. They used the Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) to complete the mission. The voyage included many scheduled stopovers to allow for pilot changes. These stops occurred in places like India, Myanmar, China, and the United States. Piccard piloted the ninth segment of the trip. He landed the Si2 in Moffett Field, California, on April 24, 2016. The duo finally completed their full circumnavigation of the globe on July 26, 2016.

Piccard uses his experiences to advocate for the planet. He was named a Goodwill Ambassador for the UN Environment Programme in 2015. In 2016, he and Borschberg launched the World Alliance for Clean Technologies. He also founded the Solar Impulse Foundation to find solutions to the environmental crisis. This foundation uses the Solar Impulse Efficient Solution Label to identify helpful technologies. Experts evaluate these solutions based on their environmental impact and economic profitability. The goal is to help leaders move toward a sustainable economy.

The Solar Impulse Foundation has seen significant growth and success. By April 2021, the foundation had identified and certified 1,000 solutions. These solutions help with goals related to water, energy, industry, and cities. Piccard also explores other clean technologies, such as hydrogen power. In 2019, he set a record for the most miles driven in a hydrogen car without refueling. He drove a Hyundai NEXO SUV for 778 kilometers across Europe. This effort was intended to promote the benefits of hydrogen technology for the future of transport.