The Journey of a Fully Solar-Powered Airplane Begins Over the Atlantic Ocean

A plane that operates entirely on solar power began one of the longest segments of its journey around the world by flying over the Atlantic Ocean on Monday, June 21. This is the first airplane that aims to complete a round-the-world trip without using a single drop of fossil fuel. According to Reuters, this single-pilot, fuselage-shaped aircraft named 'Solar Impulse 2' departed from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York at 2:30 AM on Monday. The flight is expected to last 90 hours and is considered the 15th segment of this round-the-world journey. Two Swiss aviators named Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will take turns piloting the aircraft. Solar Impulse 2 is powered by 17,000 solar cells embedded in its wings. The wings of this airplane open up to the size of a Boeing 747. This type of Boeing is used for flights between the two continents of America and Europe over the Atlantic Ocean. Due to the slow speed of the aircraft in autopilot mode, both pilots were required to undergo meditation and hypnosis training as part of their preparation for this flight. Ms. Elizabeth Banta, a spokesperson for this flight project, announced that Solar Impulse 2's next stop will be on Thursday in one of the countries of Spain or France. This airplane, made of carbon fibers, is equipped with four solar motors and four additional batteries for energy storage. Its weight is comparable to that of an ordinary car, and it can ascend to an altitude of 8,500 meters above sea level. The support team for this project, which seeks to create and expand healthy solar technology, hopes to successfully complete this flight that began in March 2015 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. The two pilots had previously succeeded in traveling over the United States with the prototype of this airplane in 2013.