Solar Impulse 2 completes the first Round-the-World solar flight in history
Non classé
26 July 2016
On Tuesday, July 26, Solar Impulse 2 achieved the first Round-the-World flight powered by the sun. After becoming the first solar airplane ever to fly through the night, between two continents, and across the United States, Solar Impulse 2 has completed the Round-the-World flight it started in 2015. Pilot Bertrand Piccard took off from Cairo, […]
On Tuesday, July 26, Solar Impulse 2 achieved the first Round-the-World flight powered by the sun.
After becoming the first solar airplane ever to fly through the night, between two continents, and across the United States, Solar Impulse 2 has completed the Round-the-World flight it started in 2015. Pilot Bertrand Piccard took off from Cairo, Egypt, on Saturday, and landed in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday night after a 48-hour flight. This incredible journey first began on March 9, 2015, when André Borschberg, his partner in this project, took off from the same tarmac. The solar plane flew more than 42,000 km in 17 legs across 4 continents without using a single drop of fuel.
"I’ve been waiting for this moment for 15 years. We flew over 40,000 km without fuel and successfully circumnavigated the globe. Now, it’s up to you to take it further. You are the future", said Solar Impulse chairman and pilot, Bertrand Piccard, in an impromptu speech on the tarmac shortly after landing.
The goal of Solar Impulse is to pioneer clean energy options. The two pilots have recently announced the creation of the International Committee for Clean Technologies as part of their continued advocacy for renewables. They also plan to move on to new innovative projects, such as the development of solar powered drones.
