The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, the world's largest solar-powered boat. in the name of science. Equipped with unique instruments, the Tûranor will carry a team of scientists who will monitor the air and water of the Atlantic Ocean's Gulf Stream, a current which influences the climates of North America's east coast and Europe's west. The goal is to gain understanding of the processes which regulate climate.
Circling the North Atlantic
The Tûranor has set out from La Ciocat, France, on a four-month expedition that will encircle the North Atlantic. The vessel's instruments will undergo testing as the boat makes its way out of the Mediterranean. The hard graft, so far as the science is concerned, will not begin until it reaches Miami, Florida, at the south-western tip of the Gulf Stream.
Being powered solely by photovoltaics, the catamaran has no emissions which could otherwise influence sensitive instruments and the data they collect.
For science
A continuous series of physical and biological measurements will be taken in the water and air to study the key parameters of climate regulation, specifically atmospheric aerosols and phytoplankton.
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