Solar Impulse makes 24 hour flight

The Solar Impulse, an experimental aircraft that is powered solely from sunlight, has made its first ever 24-hour flight. Pilot André Borschberg eased the Solar Impulse aircraft on to the runway at Payerne airfield, about 31 miles south-west of the Swiss capital, Berne, at 9am local time today. The news comes as welcome relief for the dedicated team who have worked on the Impulse for over seven years and who recently had to delay the launch due to a malfunctioning part that needed to be replaced. It also brings the team one step closer to their ultimate goal of encircling the Earth purely by solar power.

For more information on the Solar Impulse refer to issue 7 of How It Works.