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Solar Impulse 2 starts the last leg of its round-the-world flight
It's all coming down to this. Well over a year after beginning its round-the-world trip, Solar Impulse 2 has embarked on the final leg of its journey. The solar-powered aircraft left Cairo early on the morning of July 24th and should reach its original starting point, Abu Dhabi, within 2 to 3 days. This certainly isn't the most arduous part of the adventure (the Pacific crossing was far more challenging). However, it'll likely be the one that everybody remembers -- it'll be the definitive proof that clean energy can be used to accomplish impressive feats.
Solar-powered aircraft completes its flight across the US
Solar Impulse 2 continues its slow creep around the globe, this time completing its journey across the US by landing in New York City. It first arrived in the continental US back in April when the solar-powered aircraft touched down in San Francisco, and now has completed its 14th leg since leaving Abu Dhabi in March of last year. It's not the fastest way to get around -- especially given delays due to battery damage -- but it is very green, which is the whole point. Next up is an Atlantic Ocean crossing, with a destination in either southern Europe or Northern Africa. Check below for video of the latest flight.
Solar Impulse 2 completes its flight across the Pacific
After months of delays and days of flying, Solar Impulse 2 has finished crossing the Pacific. The sunlight-powered aircraft arrived in San Francisco Bay on the night of April 23rd, with an expected touchdown at Moffett Field (as of this writing) around 3AM Eastern on the 24th. This isn't the toughest stint to date (that honor goes to the 5,061-mile trip from Japan to Hawaii), but it was no mean feat. Pilot Bertrand Piccard had to travel 2,717 miles between Hawaii and San Francisco, with only short naps allowed during the 3-day expedition.
Solar Impulse delay may end dreams of cross-Atlantic flight in 2015
It's no longer safe to say that the Solar Impulse 2 aircraft will make it around the world before 2015 draws to a close. The crew is now warning that its sun-powered machine won't fly the next leg of its journey (from Hawaii to Arizona) for at least two to three weeks due to severe heat-related battery damage. While that's not the biggest setback the team could face, it could trigger a domino effect. If SI2 doesn't get to the Eastern side of the US in time, it may miss the weather window it needs to get across the Atlantic this year. You'll find out more about the extent of the problem in the next few days, so it should soon be clear whether this is just a momentary obstacle or a serious showstopper.
Solar-powered plane completes five-day journey across the Pacific
The Solar Impulse 2 is a solar-powered plane that has been flying around the world since March. Back in May, it was set to make its most ambitious journey yet, a 5,061-mile trip from Japan to Hawaii. Unfortunately, though, Pilot Andre Borschberg's initial attempt was unexpectedly cut short (as has happened before), this time due to inclement weather. Now, several weeks later, he's finally accomplished his mission. Borschberg landed in Kapolei, Hawaii on Friday, following a five-day, 118-hour flight from Nagoya -- the longest-ever solo nonstop flight. The previous record was 76 hours.
ICYMI: Head-mounted Minecraft, CGI celebs, and more!
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399{width:630px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-634399").style.display="none";}catch(e){} It's the very first episode of In Case You Missed It, where we surface the weird and wacky news that may have been buried by yesterday's big headlines. Today we're covering some of our favorite stories from Monday: The HoloLens headset at E3, what's happening with the first solar-powered flight around the world and CGI modeling using paparazzi photos.
