Solar Impulse 2 Crashes, Ending Solar Flight Legacy

Solar Impulse 2, the pioneering aircraft famed for its round-the-world solar flight, was destroyed during an uncrewed test flight on May 4, crashing into the Gulf of Mexico. This incident concluded its remarkable decade-long journey in the skies. The experimental aircraft had previously completed the first circumnavigation of Earth powered solely by solar energy.

Originally developed by Swiss aviators in 2015, Solar Impulse 2 aimed to champion clean energy and push aviation boundaries. After its historic global flight, which departed Abu Dhabi on March 9, 2015, and concluded on July 26, 2016, it was sold in 2019 to Skydweller Aero.

Skydweller Aero reconfigured the carbon-fiber plane, known for its 232-foot wingspan and 17,248 solar cells, into a long-endurance uncrewed system for military surveillance. The aircraft lost power during a test flight from Stennis International Airport, Mississippi, leading to its catastrophic destruction upon impact with the sea.