The solar-powered airplane Solar Impulse landed at New York’s JFK airport Sunday night, capping the team’s historic Across America mission. Solar Impulse was forced to land earlier than planned due to a technical issue.
“This last leg was especially difficult due to the damage of the fabric on the left wing. It obliged the team to envisage all the possible scenarios, including bailing out over the Atlantic. But this type of problem is inherent to every experimental endeavor. In the end, this didn’t prevent us from succeeding in our Across America mission and provided an invaluable learning experience in preparation for the round-the-world tour in 2015,” said co-founder and pilot André Borschberg shortly after landing.
Solar Impulse is an experimental project designed to accelerate renewable energy technology development, including solar panels and battery storage. The plane also features state-of-the-art materials like carbon fiber and insulation that have applications in the construction and refrigeration industries.
The “Across America” mission at a glance:
- 03 May 2013: First leg San Francisco/Moffett Airfield – Phoenix/Sky Harbor
Pilot: Bertrand Piccard, Initiator and Chairman - 22 May 2013: Second leg Phoenix/Sky Harbor – Dallas/Fort Worth
Pilot: André Borschberg, Co-Founder and CEO - 03 June 2013: Third leg Dallas/Fort Worth – St. Louis/Lambert Airport
Pilot: Bertrand Piccard - 14 June 2013: Fourth leg St. Louis/Lambert Airport – Cincinnati as Pit Stop – Washington DC/Dulles
Pilot: André Borschberg (St. Louis – Cincinnati) and Bertrand Piccard (Cincinnati – Washington D.C.) - 06 July 2013: Fifth and last leg Washington DC/Dulles – New York/JFK
Pilot: André Borschberg
