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SOLAR IMPULSE FORCED TO LAND DUE TO BAD WEATHER

Record-Breaking Attempt to Navigate the Pacific Ocean in a Solar-Powered Plane Has Been Aborted

Solar Impulse 2’s record-breaking attempt has been put on hold just as the plane was embarking on the most demanding part of the voyage, a six-day, six-night gruelling flight across the Pacific Ocean from China to Hawaii. The situation changed early on Monday morning as the weather situation began to worsen, the plane was first instructed to circle over the Sea of Japan before being ultimately told to fly to Nagoya, which is located on Honshu, Japan’s largest island. The Solar Impulse 2 takes its energy exclusively from the sun so it needs to recharge as much as possible during the day to power it at night, therefore adverse weather such as storms or heavy cloud cover are a big threat to its progress.

The plane is now en route to Nagoya airport where pilot André Borschberg will wait for another weather window. Co-adventurer Bertrand Piccard, who has been following the flight from mission control, underlined the importance of safety for the Solar Impulse mission, he said, “We are not daredevils, we are explorers. We have to put safety at the top of all of our priorities. Everyone is very happy with the plane – but the weather does not fit.” If anything goes wrong beyond a certain point on the Pacific leg the pilot would have no option but to bail out over the ocean. Time is also of the essence for the mission, ideally the team would need to cross the US, and then the Atlantic Ocean, before the hurricane season reaches its peak in August.

SOLAR IMPULSE FORCED TO LAND DUE TO BAD WEATHER

Details

  • Hawaii, USA
  • SOLAR IMPULSE