Solar Impulse
Arrival in Hawaii
Arrival in Hawaii
Arrival in Hawaii
Arrival in Hawaii
Arrival in Hawaii

Solar Impulse Plane Grounded

July 14, 2015
The solar-powered plane overheated its electrical storage units during a historic, five-day crossing from Japan.

The Solar Impulse plane will be grounded in Hawaii for at least two weeks because of battery damage. The solar-powered plane overheated its electrical storage units during a historic, five-day crossing from Japan.

According to BBC News, engineers are trying to fix the plane but are not sure yet if new parts will be needed to get it back up into the air again. The delay makes it less likely that Solar Impulse will complete a planned round-the-world quest this year.

Pilot Andre Borschberg recently flew Solar Impulse from Nagoya to Kalaeloa at the beginning of the month. Flying just on the power of the sun, he completed the 7,200 km in 118 hours. In achieving this feat, Borschberg's plane experienced damaging overheating in its lithium-ion battery system. Although the units performed as expected, they had too much insulation around them, making temperature management difficult.

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