In its continue mission to compass the world using only solar power , the Solar Impulse 2 woodworking plane has begun its90 - hour trekacross the Atlantic Ocean , one of the most testing part of the mission yet .
The sheet , with Swiss pilot film Bertrand Piccard at the helm , began fly from New York City to Seville at 2.30am EDT ( 7.30am BST ) yesterday , the 15th leg of the around - the - world trip . Since the plane hold - off in March 2015 , it has traverse Asia , the Pacific Ocean , and the US , and is now on its direction to Europe . Piccard has been sharing the fast-flying time of the exclusive - seater aircraft with fellow Swiss airplane pilot André Borschberg .
“ With Solar Impulse , our aim is to promote the deployment of clean technology everywhere , ” Piccard tell in a statement prior to launching . “ If an airplane can fly day and night without fuel , everybody could use these same effective solutions in their daily lives . ”
The path is mapped out harmonise to weather condition . Solar Impulse
The plane is expected to put down in Seville Airport in Spain on Thursday , June 23 , this hebdomad . During the non - stop escape , Piccard will take short “ computerized axial tomography - nap ” that are just 15 minutes retentive to keep himself energized , something he has been training for and will do for the relief of the project .
The journey began in Abu Dhabi on March 9 , 2015 , but was grounded in Hawaii fornine monthsin July 2015 when seasonal changes meant there was no longer enough sunlight to power the plane . After Seville , the carpenter’s plane will make a few more stoppage in Europe before ending back at Abu Dhabi , with Egypt and Greece presently being blow , a spokesperson for Solar Impulse recount IFLScience .
Solar Impulse 2 , which has a wingspread of 72 meters ( 236 feet ) , uses 17,000 solar cells on its wing to power its propellers , with anaverage speedof a modest 75 kilometre per hour ( 47 miles per hour ) . But this in itself is telling ; the aeroplane is the first to ever attempt an around - the - world tripper using nothing but solar office .
Solar Impulse 2 had a rather stunning approach to New York City in the former ramification earlier this month . Solar Impulse
This is n’t the foresightful branch of the journeying , though . That accolade goes to the trip from Nagoya to Hawaii last twelvemonth , which consider 117 hour and 52 mo . And those behind the labor hope it will highlight the hypothesis of renewable energy , even if they do n’t quite see solar business leader as the time to come of line travel .
“ Solar Impulse is not going to transport 200 passengers anytime soon , ” Piccarrd narrate IFLScience in a livein - the - air interviewearlier this year . “ But … Solar Impulse is a flagship of [ renewable ] engineering . ”
It ’s an impressive journeying all the same . To appease up to appointment with this Atlantic crossing , you’re able to take in a bouncy stream from the cockpit below .
