Solar Impulse became the first plane
powered solely on sunlight to make an international journey. The
solar-powered plane flew from Spain to Morocco.
Pilot Bertrand Piccard landed the plane in Morocco, 19 hours
after taking off from Madrid.
Solar Impulse has a top speed of 44 miles per hour, which is why
the flight took 19 hours. It takes a fuel-powered plane three hours
to make the same journey. Engineers are working on making Solar
Impulse much faster.
Solar Impulse is the size of a jumbo jet, but weighs only as
much as an average car. The plane is powered by 12,000 solar cells.
It is capable of flying in day or night using only solar power.
The plane holds the record for the longest continuous
solar-powered flight - over 26 hours. The team plan a
round-the-world trip on an improved plane in 2014. If the
technology works, Solar Impulse could be capable of perpetual
flight - powered by the Sun, it would never need to refuel!
The Solar Impulse team want to encourage more people and
businesses to use green technology, reducing our dependence on
fossil fuels. Perhaps one day we'll all be flying on solar-powered
planes?
To find out more, visit Solar Impulse.