Solar Impulse 2 once made history by circling the globe on sunlight alone, proving solar aviation was possible. But the revolutionary aircraft’s story has now taken a dramatic turn, ending not in triumph, but at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico. Scroll down for pics and more.

Irony strikes! Solar Impulse 2, the plane that flew around the world on sunlight crashes after electrical failure | In Pics

A strange-looking jet coated in over 17,000 solar panels gave the world a glimpse of the future of flight in 2016. Having the wingspan of a Boeing 747 but the weight of an SUV, it circumnavigated the Earth without consuming a drop of fuel. Solar Impulse 2, created by Bertrand Piccard and Bertrand Borschberg, showcased the potential of renewable energy.

Solar Impulse 2: This sun-powered plane may never need to land

A solar-powered aircraft successfully completed the first fuel-free flight around the world on Tuesday, returning to Abu Dhabi after an epic 16-month voyage and demonstrating the potential of renewable energy. 
 
The plane, Solar Impulse 2, touched down in the United Arab Emirates capital at 0005 GMT (04:05 local time) on Tuesday. 
 
It first took off from Abu Dhabi on March 9, 2015, beginning a landmark journey of about 40,000 kilometres (24,500 miles) around the globe and nearly 500 hours of flying. 
 
Unfavourable weather at times hindered smooth flying, causing the plane to be grounded for months in some countries. 
 
Swiss explorers Bertrand Piccard and Andr? Borschberg, Solar Impulse founders and pilots, took turns piloting the aircraft with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 747 and weighing only as much as a family car. 
 
The Swiss team is campaigning to bolster support for clean energy. The propeller-driven aircraft&#39;s four engines are powered exclusively by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built the plane&#39;s wings. Excess energy is stored in four batteries during daylight hours to keep the plane flying after dark. 
 
Over its entire mission, Solar Impulse 2 cruised at altitudes of up to 9,000 metres and at an average speed of between 45 and 90 kilometres (12.5 and 25 miles) per hour. The plane had 16 stopovers along the way including in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan, the United States, Spain and Egypt. 
 
Abu Dhabi&rsquo;s green energy firm Masdar is the official host partner of Solar Impulse 2. Oil-rich Abu Dhabi is investing billions in industry, tourism and renewables to diversify its economy away from oil. 
 
(Reuters)

The Solar Impulse 2 first took off from Abu Dhabi on March 9, 2015. It covered a total distance of 40,000 km and flew for nearly 500 hours

A solar-powered aircraft successfully completed the first fuel-free flight around the world on Tuesday, returning to Abu Dhabi after an epic 16-month voyage and demonstrating the potential of renewable energy. The plane, Solar Impulse 2, touched down in the United Arab Emirates capital at 0005 GMT (04:05 local time) on Tuesday. It first took off from Abu Dhabi on March 9, 2015, beginning a landmark journey of about 40,000 kilometres (24,500 miles) around the globe and nearly 500 hours of flying. Unfavourable weather at times hindered smooth flying, causing the plane to be grounded for months in some countries. Swiss explorers Bertrand Piccard and Andr? Borschberg, Solar Impulse founders and pilots, took turns piloting the aircraft with a wingspan larger than a Boeing 747 and weighing only as much as a family car. The Swiss team is campaigning to bolster support for clean energy. The propeller-driven aircraft's four engines are powered exclusively by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built the plane's wings. Excess energy is stored in four batteries during daylight hours to keep the plane flying after dark. Over its entire mission, Solar Impulse 2 cruised at altitudes of up to 9,000 metres and at an average speed of between 45 and 90 kilometres (12.5 and 25 miles) per hour. The plane had 16 stopovers along the way including in Oman, India, Myanmar, China, Japan, the United States, Spain and Egypt. Abu Dhabi’s green energy firm Masdar is the official host partner of Solar Impulse 2. Oil-rich Abu Dhabi is investing billions in industry, tourism and renewables to diversify its economy away from oil. (Reuters)

Solar-powered plane completes first ever flight around the world

Solar Impulse 2 yesterday neared the end of its epic journey to become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without a drop of fuel to promote renewable energy. 
 
When the experimental aircraft touches down in Abu Dhabi it will cap a remarkable 42,000-kilometre journey across four continents, two oceans and three seas. 
 
Solar Impulse 2 was expected to enter UAE airspace at around 1.30 am local time on Tuesday (2130 GMT Monday), and land in Abu Dhabi at around 4 am (0000 GMT). 
 
With Swiss explorer and project director Bertrand Piccard in the cockpit, it is due to arrive at Al-Bateen Executive Airport in the UAE capital where it began its historic series of flights on March 9, 2015. 
 
&quot;My deepest admiration and respect for your courage,&quot; UN Secretary General Ban-Ki moon told Piccard in a live-streamed conversation. &quot;This is a historic day not only for you but for humanity.&quot; 
 
By 1900 GMT yesterday, Solar Impulse 2 had travelled more than 2,500 kilometres in nearly 44 hours on its final leg, flying over the Gulf after crossing the vast Saudi desert and Qatar&#39;s northern tip. 
 
The aircraft was some 100 kilometres from touchdown at Abu Dhabi. 
 
Monaco mission control said it was in a holding pattern at 11,000 feet awaiting ideal landing conditions. 
 
Dubbed the &quot;paper plane&quot;, Solar Impulse 2 has been circumnavigating the globe in stages, with 58-year-old Piccard and his compatriot Andre Borschberg taking turns at the controls of the single-seat aircraft. 
 
It took off from Cairo on the final leg early on Sunday, having previously crossed Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa. 
 
&#39;Achieve the impossible&#39; 
 
Borschberg, 63, smashed the record for the longest uninterrupted journey in aviation history with the 8,924-kilometre flight between Nagoya, Japan and Hawaii that lasted nearly 118 hours. 
 
&nbsp;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The last <a href="https://twitter.com/solarimpulse">@solarimpulse</a> flight today w/ <a href="https://twitter.com/bertrandpiccard">@bertrandpiccard</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Si2?src=hash">#Si2</a>. The adventure began 13 years ago... <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/futureisclean?src=hash">#futureisclean</a> <a href="https://t.co/DNE1Snwpii">pic.twitter.com/DNE1Snwpii</a>
&mdash; Andr? Borschberg (@andreborschberg) <a href="https://twitter.com/andreborschberg/status/757006478746259457">July 24, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script> 
 
No heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, the four-engine battery-powered aircraft relies on around 17,000 solar cells embedded in its wings. 
 
Its broad wings and light weight make it particularly sensitive to turbulence. 
 
The plane has clocked an average speed of 80 kilometres an hour. 
 
The pilots use oxygen tanks to breathe at high altitude and wear suits specially designed to cope with the extreme conditions. 
 
They have had to withstand temperatures inside the tiny cockpit ranging from minus 20 degrees C (minus 4 degrees F) to plus 35 degrees C (plus 95 degrees F). 
 
The plane, equipped with a parachute and life raft in case of accident, flew at an altitude exceeding 30,000 feet (9,144 metres) over Saudi Arabia on Sunday. 
 
Piccard has said he launched the project in 2003 to show that renewable energy &quot;can achieve the impossible&quot;. 
 
His dream looks set to come true, but it has taken much longer than planned. 
 
The attempt was initially expected to last five months, including 25 days of actual flying. 
 
- &#39;For a better world&#39; - 
 
But the aircraft was grounded in July last year when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip. 
 
The project has also been beset by bad weather and illness which forced Piccard to delay the final leg. 
 
While in the air, the pilot is constantly in contact with mission control in Monaco, where a team of weathermen, mathematicians and engineers monitors the route and prepares flight strategies. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a project for energy, for a better world,&quot; Piccard told journalists in Cairo before taking off on the final leg. 
 
A psychiatrist who made the first non-stop balloon flight around the world in 1999, Piccard had warned that the last leg would be difficult because of the high temperatures. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s been two hours now I&#39;m flying into high up and down drafts. And I can&#39;t even drink. It&#39;s really exhausting...&quot; he tweeted on Sunday. 
 
Speaking to the BBC from the cockpit, Piccard described the final stage as a &quot;fantastic moment&quot; and likened the plane to a &quot;flying laboratory&quot;. 
 
&quot;We are testing all these new, clean and modern technologies in order to fly with an endless endurance,&quot; he said. 
 
While the pilots do not expect commercial solar-powered planes any time soon, they hope the project will help spur wider progress in clean energy. 
 
&quot;We have new insulation material, new LED lamps, we have new extremely light carbon fibre structures... All this can be used now on the ground,&quot; dividing &quot;by two the energy consumption and therefore the CO2 emissions of the world&quot;, Piccard said. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a complete revolution in the protection of the environment.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Solar Impulse 2 will cap a remarkable 42,000-kilometre journey without a drop of fuel when it touches down in Abu Dhabi

Solar Impulse 2 yesterday neared the end of its epic journey to become the first sun-powered airplane to circle the globe without a drop of fuel to promote renewable energy. When the experimental aircraft touches down in Abu Dhabi it will cap a remarkable 42,000-kilometre journey across four continents, two oceans and three seas. Solar Impulse 2 was expected to enter UAE airspace at around 1.30 am local time on Tuesday (2130 GMT Monday), and land in Abu Dhabi at around 4 am (0000 GMT). With Swiss explorer and project director Bertrand Piccard in the cockpit, it is due to arrive at Al-Bateen Executive Airport in the UAE capital where it began its historic series of flights on March 9, 2015. "My deepest admiration and respect for your courage," UN Secretary General Ban-Ki moon told Piccard in a live-streamed conversation. "This is a historic day not only for you but for humanity." By 1900 GMT yesterday, Solar Impulse 2 had travelled more than 2,500 kilometres in nearly 44 hours on its final leg, flying over the Gulf after crossing the vast Saudi desert and Qatar's northern tip. The aircraft was some 100 kilometres from touchdown at Abu Dhabi. Monaco mission control said it was in a holding pattern at 11,000 feet awaiting ideal landing conditions. Dubbed the "paper plane", Solar Impulse 2 has been circumnavigating the globe in stages, with 58-year-old Piccard and his compatriot Andre Borschberg taking turns at the controls of the single-seat aircraft. It took off from Cairo on the final leg early on Sunday, having previously crossed Asia, North America, Europe and North Africa. 'Achieve the impossible' Borschberg, 63, smashed the record for the longest uninterrupted journey in aviation history with the 8,924-kilometre flight between Nagoya, Japan and Hawaii that lasted nearly 118 hours. The last @solarimpulse flight today w/ @bertrandpiccard in #Si2. The adventure began 13 years ago... #futureisclean pic.twitter.com/DNE1Snwpii — Andr? Borschberg (@andreborschberg) July 24, 2016 No heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, the four-engine battery-powered aircraft relies on around 17,000 solar cells embedded in its wings. Its broad wings and light weight make it particularly sensitive to turbulence. The plane has clocked an average speed of 80 kilometres an hour. The pilots use oxygen tanks to breathe at high altitude and wear suits specially designed to cope with the extreme conditions. They have had to withstand temperatures inside the tiny cockpit ranging from minus 20 degrees C (minus 4 degrees F) to plus 35 degrees C (plus 95 degrees F). The plane, equipped with a parachute and life raft in case of accident, flew at an altitude exceeding 30,000 feet (9,144 metres) over Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Piccard has said he launched the project in 2003 to show that renewable energy "can achieve the impossible". His dream looks set to come true, but it has taken much longer than planned. The attempt was initially expected to last five months, including 25 days of actual flying. - 'For a better world' - But the aircraft was grounded in July last year when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip. The project has also been beset by bad weather and illness which forced Piccard to delay the final leg. While in the air, the pilot is constantly in contact with mission control in Monaco, where a team of weathermen, mathematicians and engineers monitors the route and prepares flight strategies. "It's a project for energy, for a better world," Piccard told journalists in Cairo before taking off on the final leg. A psychiatrist who made the first non-stop balloon flight around the world in 1999, Piccard had warned that the last leg would be difficult because of the high temperatures. "It's been two hours now I'm flying into high up and down drafts. And I can't even drink. It's really exhausting..." he tweeted on Sunday. Speaking to the BBC from the cockpit, Piccard described the final stage as a "fantastic moment" and likened the plane to a "flying laboratory". "We are testing all these new, clean and modern technologies in order to fly with an endless endurance," he said. While the pilots do not expect commercial solar-powered planes any time soon, they hope the project will help spur wider progress in clean energy. "We have new insulation material, new LED lamps, we have new extremely light carbon fibre structures... All this can be used now on the ground," dividing "by two the energy consumption and therefore the CO2 emissions of the world", Piccard said. "It's a complete revolution in the protection of the environment." (AFP)

Solar plane nears end of historic round-the-world trip

The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on Wednesday for the penultimate stop in the solar-powered plane&#39;s world tour, two days after setting off from Spain. 
 
The experimental plane had completed the first solo transatlantic flight to land in Spain last month, and will continue from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, where it began its marathon journey in March last year. 
 
After setting off from Seville, Spain on Monday morning, the plane passed through Algerian, Tunisian, Italian, and Greek airspace, and flew over the Giza Pyramids before touching down at Cairo airport at around 0510 GMT. 
 
Its support crew cheered as the plane, no heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, landed, and trailed after it on bicycles. 
 
&quot;It was fantastic, everything worked well,&quot; pilot Andre Borschberg told the control tower, as a live stream on Solar Impulse 2&#39;s Facebook page was broadcast from the cockpit. 
 
(AFP)

The solar-powered aircraft will continue from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, where it began its marathon journey in March last year

The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Cairo on Wednesday for the penultimate stop in the solar-powered plane's world tour, two days after setting off from Spain. The experimental plane had completed the first solo transatlantic flight to land in Spain last month, and will continue from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, where it began its marathon journey in March last year. After setting off from Seville, Spain on Monday morning, the plane passed through Algerian, Tunisian, Italian, and Greek airspace, and flew over the Giza Pyramids before touching down at Cairo airport at around 0510 GMT. Its support crew cheered as the plane, no heavier than a car but with the wingspan of a Boeing 747, landed, and trailed after it on bicycles. "It was fantastic, everything worked well," pilot Andre Borschberg told the control tower, as a live stream on Solar Impulse 2's Facebook page was broadcast from the cockpit. (AFP)

Solar Impulse 2 lands in Egypt for penultimate stop of its around-the-world trip

An airplane powered solely by energy from the sun took off from southern Spain early on Monday on the penultimate leg of the first ever fuel-free round-the-world flight. 
 
The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 lifted off from Seville at 0420 GMT en route for Cairo, a trip expected to take 50 hours and 30 minutes. 
 
The plane has more than 17,000 solar cells built in to its wings and travels at a cruising speed of around 70 km per hour (43 mph). 
 
On its journey, which began in Abu Dhabi and is due to end there, it has been piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard. 
 
Borschberg is taking this run, the 16th leg, over the Mediterranean Sea, crossing through the airspace of Tunisia, Algeria, Malta, Italy and Greece before ending in Egypt. 
 
(Reuters)

The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 lifted off from Seville at 0420 GMT en route for Cairo, a trip expected to take 50 hours and 30 minutes

An airplane powered solely by energy from the sun took off from southern Spain early on Monday on the penultimate leg of the first ever fuel-free round-the-world flight. The single-seat Solar Impulse 2 lifted off from Seville at 0420 GMT en route for Cairo, a trip expected to take 50 hours and 30 minutes. The plane has more than 17,000 solar cells built in to its wings and travels at a cruising speed of around 70 km per hour (43 mph). On its journey, which began in Abu Dhabi and is due to end there, it has been piloted in turns by Swiss aviators Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard. Borschberg is taking this run, the 16th leg, over the Mediterranean Sea, crossing through the airspace of Tunisia, Algeria, Malta, Italy and Greece before ending in Egypt. (Reuters)

Solar Impulse 2 sets off for penultimate flight to end round-the-world trip

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. 
 
The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York&#39;s John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) &nbsp;today. 
 
The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said&nbsp;the project team. 
 
The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. 
 
The solar craft&#39;s cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. 
 
Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. 
 
On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. 
 
The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. 
 
Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. 
 
The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). 
 
In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. 
(Reuters)

The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert

A solar-powered airplane left the United States today, taking off from New York City to fly across Atlantic for its historic bid to circle the globe. The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed as Solar Impulse 2, left New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 2:30 am local time (0630 GMT) today. The flight is expected to take approximately 90 to 110 hours before landing in Seville Airport, Spain, said the project team. The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. Andre Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours for Amelia Earhart to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013. (Reuters)

Solar-powered plane takes on Atlantic as part of round-the-world bid

A solar-powered airplane finished crossing the United States on Saturday, landing in New York City after flying over the Statue of Liberty during its historic bid to circle the globe, the project team said. 
 
The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, arrived at New York&#39;s John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 4 a.m. local time after it took off about five hours beforehand at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, the team reported on the airplane&#39;s website. 
 
&quot;Such a pleasure to land in #NYC! For the 14th time we celebrate sustainability,&quot; said the project&#39;s co-founder Andre Borschberg on Twitter after flying over the city and the Statue of Liberty during the 14th leg of the trip around the globe. 
 
The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. 
 
The solar craft&#39;s cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. 
 
Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. 
 
On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours Amelia Earhart took to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. 
 
The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. 
 
Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. 
 
The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). 
 
In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013.

The plane collects energy from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. It can climb to 28,000 feet and cruise at 34 to 62 mph

A solar-powered airplane finished crossing the United States on Saturday, landing in New York City after flying over the Statue of Liberty during its historic bid to circle the globe, the project team said. The spindly, single-seat experimental aircraft, dubbed Solar Impulse 2, arrived at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport at about 4 a.m. local time after it took off about five hours beforehand at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania, the team reported on the airplane's website. "Such a pleasure to land in #NYC! For the 14th time we celebrate sustainability," said the project's co-founder Andre Borschberg on Twitter after flying over the city and the Statue of Liberty during the 14th leg of the trip around the globe. The Swiss team flying the aircraft in a campaign to build support for clean energy technologies hopes eventually to complete its circumnavigation in Abu Dhabi, where the journey began in March 2015. The solar craft's cruising speed, akin to that of a car, required pilots to take up meditation and hypnosis in training to stay alert for long periods. Borschberg alternates with fellow pilot Bertrand Piccard at the controls for each segment of what they hope will be the first round-the-world solar-powered flight. On April 24, Piccard landed in San Francisco, completing a trans-Pacific crossing after a nearly three-day trip that began in Hawaii. The flight took more than three times the 18 hours Amelia Earhart took to fly solo from Hawaii to California in the 1930s. The propeller-driven Solar Impulse flies without a drop of fuel and its four engines are powered solely by energy collected from more than 17,000 solar cells built into its wings. Surplus power is stored in four batteries during the day, to keep the plane aloft on extreme long-distance flights. The carbon-fiber plane, with a wingspan exceeding that of a Boeing 747 and the weight of a family car, is unlikely to set speed or altitude records. It can climb to 28,000 feet (8,500 m), and cruise at 34 to 62 mph (55 to 100 kph). In a precursor of their globe-circling quest, the two men completed a multi-flight crossing of the United States with an earlier version of the solar plane in 2013.

Solar plane lands in New York City during bid to circle the globe

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