The Solar Impulse 2 team reports pilot André Borschberg has passed the “point of no return” and must now see the 5 days and 5 nights solar powered flight from Japan to Hawaii through to the end.
After beginning its epic journey in early March, the Solar Impulse team found themselves grounded in Japan for weeks due to weather and technical issues. While in Japan, a wing of the aircraft was damaged by wind gusts; necessitating a lengthy repair.
The team came under increased pressure recently when it became clear if they weren’t able to resume the journey, the plane could be stuck in Japan for a year.
After an abandoned attempt last week to take to the skies, Solar Impulse 2 is soaring again.
At the time of writing, Solar Impulse 2 was traveling at an altitude of 4719 metres and at a speed of 55.1 knots. Its batteries were 99% charged.
Solar Impulse 2 has a 72 metre wingspan and was constructed around a carbon fiber frame. 17,000 thin film solar cells that coat much of the topside of the plane power four electric motors and charge a hefty lithium ion battery bank weighing over 600 kilograms.
The total weight of the craft is just 2.3 tonnes, including batteries.
The plane has a maximum speed of 77 kts (140 km/h) and a cruise speed of 49 kts (90 km/h) during daylight hours. It can operate as high as 12,000 metres.
The journey to Hawaii is 7,900 kilometers, with nowhere to land before the destination. It’s certainly quite a risky, make or break situation and many will be tracking Mr. Borschberg’s efforts via the Solar Impulse tracker.
Solar Impulse’s success may lie in part with an innovation and technology alliance with solar inverter manufacturer ABB. ABB assisted by improving power yields from the solar cells and enhanced the charging electronics for the plane’s battery systems.
After reaching Hawaii, Solar Impulse will then go on to Phoenix, Arizona, then several other locations in the USA before heading to Southern Europe or Morocco before reaching its final destination; Abu Dhabi. Having done so, it will be the first solar airplane to have circumnavigated the Earth.
