Solar-Powered Plane Starts First Ever Round-The-World Trip

© REUTERS / Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.chThe Solar Impulse 2
The Solar Impulse 2 - Sputnik International
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Solar Impulse 2, a plane running exclusively on sun power, has taken off from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and is set to complete the first ever solar around-the-world flight in five months.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The aircraft, piloted by Swiss Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg took off at 07:12 a. m. local time (03:12 GMT) from the Al Bateen Airport.

A man walks past the Solar Impulse 2 during its presentation at the Al Bateen airport in Abu Dhabi January 20, 2015. - Sputnik International
Solar Powered Plane to Fly Around World Next Month
Solar Impulse 2 was first flown last year. Its single wing is covered by 17,200 sun batteries that power the aircraft's engines, enabling it to fly at a maximum speed of 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour. Piccard and Borschberg will take turn piloting the plane during their round-the-world journey.

Solar Impulse 2 is part of the Solar Impulse project, led by Piccard, a psychiatrist and aeronaut, and Borschberg, a businessman. Its predecessor is Solar Impulse 1 that Borschberg used to complete the world's first ever manned 26-hour sun-powered flight on July 8, 2010.

The construction of Solar Impulse 2 was launched in 2011. It was completed in April, 2014 after some delays caused by structural failures.

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