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Solar Impulse
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Solar Impulse

aviation project
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Quick Summary

The Solar Impulse project was an aviation initiative focused on developing and launching a solar-powered airplane capable of circumnavigating the globe. The project's ultimate goal was to demonstrate the potential of renewable energy in aviation.1

The first solar-powered plane, also named Solar Impulse, was completed in 2009. A significant milestone was achieved on July 7–8, 2010, when it completed the first solar-powered flight through the night, lasting 26 hours over Switzerland. Subsequent flights included an international journey from Switzerland to Brussels and then to Paris in 2011, and a transcontinental flight from Madrid to Rabat in 2012.1

The larger Solar Impulse 2 was built for the round-the-world attempt and was finished in 2014. The circumnavigation began on March 9, 2015, from Abu Dhabi. The journey faced delays due to battery overheating in Hawaii, and the flight was completed on July 26, 2016, with the plane landing back in Abu Dhabi.1

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Bertrand Piccard
  2. airplane - Heavier-than-air

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