Solar Impulse 2 begins round-the-world flight

Lifting off from Abu Dhabi, Solar Impulse 2 (Si2) has embarked on route to Muscat, Oman in phase one of a journey that will see the aircraft fly over the Arabian Sea, India, Myanmar, China and the Pacific Ocean.

Flying for 25 days over the course of approximately five months, the single-seater carbon fibre aircraft will then cross the Atlantic Ocean, with the final legs that include a stop-over in southern Europe or North Africa before completing the round-the-world flight at its final destination in Abu Dhabi, Solar Impulse’s official host city.

Mission pilots and Solar Impulse founders Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg will share flying duties during the mission and will join with project partners during 12 scheduled stops at public events for governments, schools and universities that will promote clean technologies.

In flight, Piccard and Borschberg will have to occupy an unheated, non-pressurised cockpit with a volume of 3.8m3 and endure external temperatures ranging from -40 to +40 degrees Celsius.