Bertrand Picard's visionary aircraft, the Solar Impulse, completed an exciting milestone yesterday. It was rolled out of the hangar for the first time and the engines were tested at the Dübendorf aerodrome near Zurich.

This airplane is definitely an impressive sight. You can visit the Solar Impulse Blog for more pictures. It's kind of difficult to imagine an aircraft this large that only weighs less than two tons and is powered by the sun.

This project is many things. It chases after the elusive goal of having a 100% solar powered aircraft capable of sustained operations. Many have tried to make such an aircraft, but nobody has ever succeeded on the scale that the Solar Impulse hopes to. This will also be an important example/symbol for the world. Right now we are firmly in the grip of fossil fuels for transportation. There is a strong movement to switch to cleaner energy, but industry still hasn't stepped up to make "green" energy a feasible option. The Solar Impulse isn't a practical aircraft for personal or business use, but it will demonstrate the many principles that we will eventually be able to incorporate into new aircraft designs. It will also show that clean energy technology is getting to the point where it can be developed into viable commercial applications. Any way you look at it the project is meaningful for humankind, and it will be worth celebrating when it flies around the world using only energy from the sun.

Congratulations to the Solar Impulse team. We look forward to hearing more about you aircraft soon!

The Solar Impulse project is still accepting donations from those who want to become supporters of the program. Depending on how much you want to contribute, you can adopt a solar cell on the wing, have your name inscribed on the aircraft or get a VIP visit to see the aircraft in person. With the holidays just around the corner, this might be the perfect gift for the person who has everything...