The first attempt to fly around the world in a plane using solar energy will be launched on Monday in Abu Dhabi, its pilots said, in a landmark journey aimed at promoting green energy.
The takeoff of Solar Impulse 2 would cap 13 years of research and testing by Swiss pilots Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard.
“This project is a human project, it is a human challenge,” said Borschberg, co-founder and chief executive of Solar Impulse who will fly the plane on the first leg.
The wingspan of the one-seater plane, known as the Si2, is slightly bigger than that of a jumbo jet, but its weight is around that of a family car. It will take off from Abu Dhabi on Monday at 6:30 a.m. local time, landing first in Muscat, Oman.
From there, it will make 12 stops on an epic journey spread over five months, with a total flight time of around 25 days.
