RULES
CATEGORIES
There are three categories of aircraft designs and two categories of flight operations.
● Designs: airships, hybrids, planes.
● Operations: drone and piloted.
All aircraft use electric propulsion - no fossil fuels. Airships are neutrally buoyant using hydrogen as the lifting gas. Hybrids use both buoyant lift and dynamic lift. Planes use no buoyant lift.
INVITATIONAL
Teams participating are by invitation. Individuals and teams are asked to propose credentials prior to being invited to participate. Each year The Challenge increases in scope and scale and invites an expanded pool of participants.
DESIGN OF THE AIRCRAFT
The rules for aircraft design: all designs follow a progression form Concept Design to Detail Design to Flight Simulation. All teams whose credentials are approved participate in a Design Exchange. They are provided with the Mission’s Top Level Requirements (TLRs) and given a deadline for Concept Design and Detailed Design, then Flight Simulation. Upon completion of this process, a Design Review Committee approves designs for build.
BUILDING THE AIRCRAFT
Once Design is approved for build, detailed designs are provided to Solar Ship to build the aircraft. This starts by building a small Remote Controlled model and putting it through a test and evaluation (T&E) program. Upon completion of T&E, the Design moves to full-scale build.
OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT
Once the full-scale aircraft is built, it is put through a Micro Mission for T&E prior to being deployed to the main Mission. T&E covers 10% of the main Mission and 25 hours of operation prior to deployment. Operating teams then deploy to the Mission site. All teams - airships, hybrids, planes – must pass minimum operating requirements tests at the Mission site prior to participating in The Challenge.
THE MISSION
The Mission changes each year to address immediate challenges to Peace + Freedom. Each year the Mission Committee increases the challenge of the mission to apply the lessons from the previous year and push humanity forward on the path to Peace + Freedom.
THE WINNER
There are three categories of winners: 1) Peace – rewarding the team who executes the life-saving Mission with the most impact; 2) Freedom – rewarding the team who executes the Mission with the most impact on local entrepreneurs; 3) Peace + Freedom - The team able to combine the greatest impact on lives and livelihoods is the Peace + Freedom Champion.
There are three categories of aircraft designs and two categories of flight operations.
● Designs: airships, hybrids, planes.
● Operations: drone and piloted.
All aircraft use electric propulsion - no fossil fuels. Airships are neutrally buoyant using hydrogen as the lifting gas. Hybrids use both buoyant lift and dynamic lift. Planes use no buoyant lift.
INVITATIONAL
Teams participating are by invitation. Individuals and teams are asked to propose credentials prior to being invited to participate. Each year The Challenge increases in scope and scale and invites an expanded pool of participants.
DESIGN OF THE AIRCRAFT
The rules for aircraft design: all designs follow a progression form Concept Design to Detail Design to Flight Simulation. All teams whose credentials are approved participate in a Design Exchange. They are provided with the Mission’s Top Level Requirements (TLRs) and given a deadline for Concept Design and Detailed Design, then Flight Simulation. Upon completion of this process, a Design Review Committee approves designs for build.
BUILDING THE AIRCRAFT
Once Design is approved for build, detailed designs are provided to Solar Ship to build the aircraft. This starts by building a small Remote Controlled model and putting it through a test and evaluation (T&E) program. Upon completion of T&E, the Design moves to full-scale build.
OPERATING THE AIRCRAFT
Once the full-scale aircraft is built, it is put through a Micro Mission for T&E prior to being deployed to the main Mission. T&E covers 10% of the main Mission and 25 hours of operation prior to deployment. Operating teams then deploy to the Mission site. All teams - airships, hybrids, planes – must pass minimum operating requirements tests at the Mission site prior to participating in The Challenge.
THE MISSION
The Mission changes each year to address immediate challenges to Peace + Freedom. Each year the Mission Committee increases the challenge of the mission to apply the lessons from the previous year and push humanity forward on the path to Peace + Freedom.
THE WINNER
There are three categories of winners: 1) Peace – rewarding the team who executes the life-saving Mission with the most impact; 2) Freedom – rewarding the team who executes the Mission with the most impact on local entrepreneurs; 3) Peace + Freedom - The team able to combine the greatest impact on lives and livelihoods is the Peace + Freedom Champion.