Headed by Professor Christos Zerefos, the LAP team is one of the 34 scientific groups that participate in the programme representing universities, research institutes and private corporations from Austria, Belgium, Sweden, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Great Britain.

Professor Zerefos' team will focus on the potential effects of hydrogen emissions on UV radiation and atmospheric composition. Furthermore, the LAP will study the environmental impact of producing and distributing the hydrogen fuel.

Fuel of the future?
Conventional aeroplanes significantly contribute to the ever-increasing levels of atmospheric pollution, ozone depletion and global warming, since the burning of kerosene produces carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides, dust particles and other gases. Emissions from the cryoplane, on the other hand, are much less toxic, since the main by-product of hydrogen combustion is simply water vapour. In addition, hydrogen - which is produced by the electrolysis of water - is an eminently abundant planetary resource that can be produced using environmentally friendly and renewable energy sources.

According to Professor Zerefos, hydrogen, which is already being used to power the Space Shuttle, will very likely be the fuel of the future. However, it, too, is not perfect. At very high altitudes, the hydrogen's vapour emissions form ice crystals, which can also contribute to the greenhouse effect. Still, this can be avoided to some extent by varying the flight's altitude according to outside conditions. Another drawback of the cryoplane - called thus, for flying on super-cooled liquid hydrogen stored at -253 degrees C in its tanks - is the fact that the combustion of hydrogen fuel also produces nitrogen oxides (NOX), although to a lesser degree than kerosene. According to researchers, however, careful engine design will reduce these emissions to a minimum.

Take-off countdown
The actual building of the cryoplane was assigned to aviation giant Daimler Chrysler Aerospace. The aircraft will be adapted from the body of the Airbus 310, which will be redesigned so as to accommodate the capacious fuel tanks carrying liquid hydrogen, which is four times bulkier than kerosene. A cryoplane prototype is expected to be ready by 2007, while its commercial production is envisaged to begin in around 2010.