The eight of July 2010 has entered the history books,an experimental solar-powered aircraft launched on the previous day landed safely after successfully flying through the night. The incredible feat is a step toward the even more incredible aim of circling the globe using only the power of the Sun to fuel the plane.
The aircraft used super-efficient solar cells and batteries to stay in the air after the Sun's rays had faded. The plane touched down at Payerne airfield at 0900 (0700 GMT) after a total flight time of 26 hours.
During the flight it reached a unbelievable height of 8,700 m (28,543 ft). It is the longest and highest flight recorded by a solar-powered plane. The plane has 12,000 solar cells arranged on top of its wing which stored enough energy to power the plane for the flight through four engines.
The team will now build a new, more advanced, model of the plane and they plan to aim to circumnavigate the globe by 2013.
http://www.solarimpulse.com/
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