Gallery: This Might Be the Coolest Kite Ever
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Tomás Saraceno's *Solar Bell* is a massive kite made from carbon tubes and paper-thin solar panels. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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The *Solar Bell* about to take flight. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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The structure was designed by Saraceno with the help of the Aerospace Engineering Faculty at Delft University in the Netherlands. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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Much like scientists in the 19th century, Saraceno and his team had to experiment to get the right frame structure and angle of the solar panels. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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Engineers worked to find the most lightweight materials possible to ensure that the structure would float into the air easily. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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The *Solar Bell* stands 5 meters tall, but Saraceno imagines that it could some day rise as high as 60 meters. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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A rendering of the full-sized *Solar Bell*, which would rise 60 meters high. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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The team constructing the Solar Bell. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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The *Solar Bell* in flight. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
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Testing the Solar Bell. *Image: Camilo Brau, © Studio Tomás Saraceno.*
