Covering 1,471 mi (2,368 mi) in regional summer heat that was on the design edge for the aircraft’s systems, Solar Impulse 2 closed the circle and returned to the place where it all started in March 2015.
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Si2’s batteries have overheated however and it sits on the island of Oahu for nearly 10 months while repairs are made.
Swiss adventurer and project director Bertrand Piccard was in the cockpit of Solar Impulse 2 as the aircraft landed at Al-Bateen Executive Airport in Abu Dhabi early on Tuesday morning. Other stops included Dayton, Ohio; Allentown, Pa.; and New York City, before crossing the Atlantic to Spain in June.
The plane, Solar Impulse 2, touched down in the United Arab Emirates capital at 0005 GMT (0705 Malaysian time) today.
“By flying around the world thanks to renewable energy and clean technologies, we have demonstrated that we can now make our world more energy efficient”, he said.
The aircraft is uniquely powered by 17,248 solar cells that transfer energy to four electrical motors that power the plane’s propellers. The flight is expected to land in Abu Dhabi sometime tonight or early tomorrow.
To calm his nerves, the team held a small concert with violinist Zhang Zhang performing live in the mission control room in Monaco, and broadcasted it live to the pilot.
Due to the warmer and thinner air over Saudi Arabia, Piccard had to fly at a high altitude to avoid turbulence.
Solar Impulse 2 above the Statue of Liberty.
However, the flight was more emotional than it was hard, Mr Piccard said. It was hard to find partners, to get permission. “I think you will enjoy it”.
“I hope people will understand that it is not just a first in the history of aviation, but also a first in the history of energy”, he said.
When asked about what could be next, he says he plans to create an global committee on green technology and advise various governments.
The pilots use oxygen tanks to breathe at high altitude and wear suits specially created to cope with the extreme conditions.
They must 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).
Flying the plane hasn’t been easy. He launched the Solar Impulse project in 2003 with Piccard.
His dream has taken much longer than planned.
But the aircraft was grounded in July a year ago when its solar-powered batteries suffered problems halfway through the trip.
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After more than 24,000 miles, a solar-powered plane just completed the final leg of its flight around the world.
