Solar Impulse II Completes First Solar-Powered Circumnavigation Of Earth

The very first round-the-world trip by a solar-powered aircraft has been completed.

Solar Impulse 2 touched down in Abu Dhabi after a journey around planet Earth that begun in March 2015, fuelled entirely by energy from the sun

Pilot Bertrand Piccard safely landed the jet for its final touch-down after travelling from Cairo.

He has shared the controls with fellow pilot André Borschberg throughout the pioneering and record-breaking circumnavigation.

The final landing brings to an end an epic 17-stage journey, covering 42,000 km and clocking up 558 hours of flight time.

Solar Impulse 2 has the wingspan of a Boeing 747, but weighs little more than the average car.

It has a cockpit the size of a telephone box, and its wings are covered with 17,000 solar cells, allowing it to fly day and night without fuel.

The two Swiss pilots hope their milestone achievement will pave the way for the creation of new energy efficient technologies, and inspire new clean-energy innovations.

First Leg

Solar Impulse 2 lands with pilot Andre Boschberg at the helm to finish the first leg of its historic round-the-world journey that began in Abu Dhabi on 9 March 2015. (Jean Revillard via Getty Images)

Power Of The Sun

The high-tech plane floats over Muscat near the beginning of its global circumnavigation. The section part of the flight took the aircraft from Muscat to Ahmedebad, India. (Jean Revillard via Getty Images)

Ready For Take Off

Solar Impulse prepares to take off for the third of its 17 journeys that made up its round-the-world trip. This leg crossed India from Ahmedebad to Varanasi. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

In The Cockpit

Pilot Bertrand Piccard makes the last checks before part four of Solar Impulse’s global circumnavigation, flying from Varanasi, India to Mandalay, Myanmar. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

Night Flight

Solar Impulse 2 flies over Inwa, the ancient imperial capital in the region of Mandalay, Myanmar during the leg five of the first round-the-world solar flight. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

Up In The Air

The aircraft waits to take off from Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport, China, heading for Nagoya, Japan. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

Ready For Take Off

Yasemine Borschberg waves a Japanese flag as Solar Impulse 2 takes off from Nagoya Komaki airport, with her husband Andre Borschberg as the pilot. Tis eight leg of the journey took the plane to Hawaii. (Jean Revillard/SI2/Global Newsroom via Getty Images)

Taking Wing

The giant wings of Solar Impulse 2 are seen as it glides over the coast of Hawaii, en route to San Fransisco. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

Mid-Flight Selfie

Pilot Andre Borschberg enjoys a snack in the cockpit during part 10 of his epic journey. Here the plane is travelling from San Fransisco to Phoenix. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

In To Land

Solar Impulse 2 heads back down to earth in Tulsa, completing the 11th leg of its journey. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

View From The Cockpit

Pilot André Borschberg takes a picture of the Mississippi River on his way to Dayton, Ohio from Tulsa. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

Extreme Selfie

Pilot Bertrand Riccard takes a break from navigating the plane to take a sky-high selfie as he travels to Lehigh Valley from Ohio. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

City Lights

The lights of New York City twinkle as Solar Impulse 2 glides over the skyscrapers en route to JFK airport. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

Fly By

The fifteenth part of Solar Impulse 2′s journey want from the U.S. over to Sevilla, Spain. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

World Wonder

Egypt’s pyramids peek out of a cloud of dust as Solar Impulse 2 flies high above them. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)

Record Breakers

Pilots Bertrrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg celebrate after landing in Abu Dhabi to finish the first around the world flight without the use of fuel. (Solar Impulse/Revillard/Rezo.ch)