The epic voyage of Solar Impulse 2 has come to a premature end for this year with plans to relaunch next spring.
During a harrowing 5 day (117 hours and 52 minutes) journey from Nagoya, Japan, to Kalaeloa, Hawaii, piloted by only Bertrand Piccard, the solar-powered batteries were significantly damaged from overheating. The necessary repairs will require several months to complete and with winter's short hours of daylight looming, the plane will be unable to make the long journey from Hawaii to North America until next year.
Although the aircraft hasn't managed to circumnavigate the globe this year to become the first solar-powered aircraft to ever do so as originally intended, the incredible journey of this plane has already broken records and impressed supporters around the world.
Piccard and André Borschberg are the co-pilots and founders of Solar Impulse.
The two Swiss natives launched the project to promote clean alternative technologies.
Solar Impulse 2 began test flights in Abu Dhabi in February and early March.
The epic journey began with a flight from Abu Dhabi to Muscat on March 9.
From Muscat the plane traveled onward to Ahmedabad, India, and then to Varanasi, India.
Pressing onwards despite some delays, the plane continued to Myanmar and China.
From China, the aircraft planned to fly all the way to Hawaii.
After two days in the air, the flight was cut short due to weather conditions.
The plane landed safely in Japan but required some repairs.
Solar Impulse continued to face weather delays in Japan.
People had speculated that Solar Impulse might remain stuck in Japan all winter.
But on June 28, the plane took off from Japan bound for Hawaii.
This was the most difficult leg of the journey to date.
As the only person piloting the aircraft, Borshberg took short 20-minute power-naps throughout the multi-day journey to conserve his energy. Borshberg also used yoga and self-hypnosis, which he said would help him get the maximum rest possible during his short naps. However, sleep deprivation wasn’t the only challenge, as temperatures varied between the extremes of 30°C and -20°C.
Despite the difficulty, Borshberg landed in Hawaii 5 days (117 hours and 52 minutes) later!
The flight was the longest solo flight ever ...
Not to mention it was also the longest solo flight ever by a solar-powered aircraft.
However, the trip has come to a stop for now.
The plane will remain in Hawaii through the winter undergoing repairs to the damaged batteries.