Solar Impulse will begin its historic 40,000 kilometer flight around the world in early March, fuelled only by solar energy. ABB is supporting Solar Impulse on its momentous journey.
Solar Impulse will begin its epic voyage in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.
Along the way, it will stop in Muscat, Oman; Varanasi and Ahmedabad in India; Chongqing and Nanjing in China; and Hawaii, Phoenix and New York City in the United States. The plane’s last stop will be either in southern Europe or North Africa before completing the round-theworld tour in Abu Dhabi.
Among challenges facing the mission, due to last several weeks, is a non-stop flight of five days and nights from China to Hawaii. The plane, powered by 17,248 solar cells, will soar higher than Mount Everest each day while fully charging its lithium batteries to stay airborne during the night.
The carbon-fiber airplane has the wingspan of a Boeing 747 Jumbo jet and the weight of a small car.
ABB and Solar Impulse formed an innovation and technology alliance in 2014. Three ABB engineers have joined the Solar Impulse team to provide expertise in control systems for ground operations, charging electronics for the plane’s battery systems and resolving obstacles that emerge along the route.
Visit the Solar Impulse project microsite >>