NC State alumnus Sarah Andrews is working on a team to make the first journey around the world without fuel in a solar powered plane.
Solar Impulse is a project founded by Swiss natives, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg. Piccard, a psychologist, and Borshberg, an engineer and former Swiss fighter pilot, have a vision of revolutionizing aviation into a process without fuel.
The motivation for the project came in 1999 after Piccard completed the first continuous balloon flight to circumnavigate the globe. Having burned 3.7 tons of propane, Piccard decided that aviation needed to establish more sustainable practices. This decision lead him to begin exploratory research, which eventually turned into the Solar Impulse Project.
Since its beginning, Solar Impulse has built multiple successful prototypes and has established several historical milestones in aviation. Solar Impulse 1 was the first solar powered plane to fly for 24 hours straight, including several hoursof night flying. Solar Impulse’s improved and more efficient plane, Solar Impulse 2, is now in the process of becoming the first solar plane to fly around the world. To achieve this monumental feat, Solar Impulse has allied with several innovative companies such as Solvay, Schindler, Omega and ABB.
In 2007, Andrews was hired as an intern at ABB, an engineering company based in Cary, North Carolina. Andrews received her degrees in business management and marketing and media communication in 2008 and then was hired as a full-time employee. When ABB allied with the Solar Impulse project in 2014, Andrews was named the project manager of the alliance.
This position places Andrews in charge of any media relations regarding the plane while it is in U.S. airspace. Government officials, sponsors, universities and others are always interested in seeing the plane and meeting the pilots. Andrews makes this possible by organizing events like a recent dinner that was held under the plane’s wings after it landed in Hawaii.
The purpose of ABB’s alliance with Solar Impulse is to help make progress toward a better, more sustainable world. To accomplish this, Andrews reaches out and informs universities and students about the Solar Impulse Project and the impact the project has on the global community. Andrews has been interested in sustainable energy since her time at NC State, and she hopes that her work inspires others to see the potential for a sustainable future.
“I enjoy reaching out to universities to teach students about a better world,” Andrews said.
Although Andrews remains energetic about her position, the job doesn’t come without its challenges. Solar Impulse’s flight around the world is divided into 13 segments with four stops in the United States. Andrews must make detailed plans for all four stops. The plane’s flight is often restricted because of weather and length of days.
“There are no set dates, so it is difficult to schedule and make plans. I don’t know who will be able to come, so plans cannot be finalized,” Andrews said.
Despite the challenges, Andrews successfully planned for Solar Impulse’s U.S. stop in Hawaii and has already made plans for the plane’s 2016 stop in Phoenix, Arizona.
“I can honestly say that I’ve never seen someone remain so positive and so energetic, and most importantly, so incredibly organized in the face of so many unknowns,” said Melisa London, director of North American Media Relations for ABB. “But Sarah remained calm and flexible, and she managed the crucial details so that when history finally happened in Hawaii, she, our customers and the general public were there to witness it.”
After months of planning, Andrews was finally rewarded for her work in July as she watched Solar Impulse land on the runway in Hawaii.
“I was on the runway in Hawaii when the plane touched down,” Andrews said. “I was part of history. I was able to meet the pilots and the Solar Impulse crew in person. It made all the planning worthwhile.”
Because of a battery failure, Solar Impulse 2 will be grounded in Hawaii until the spring of 2016. This puts Andrews’ work with Solar Impulse on hold until the end of this year, but she remains excited to see the completion of the around-the-world flight.
