Sun-Powered Solar Impulse 2 Plane Finishes Round-The-World Flight

The sun-powered zero-fuel Solar Impulse 2 (SI-2) plane landed in Abu Dhabi, finishing its round-the-world journey, it was reported Tuesday.

On Sunday, the plane took off from Cairo heading for Abu Dhabi. The flight was scheduled for the week before but delayed because Bertrand Piccard, the pilot, was ill.

#Si2 & @bertrandpiccard successfully landed in Abu Dhabi, proving #futureisclean pic.twitter.com/KBvlnwi4Mh

— SOLAR IMPULSE (@solarimpulse) July 26, 2016

?"Solar Impulse 2 & Bertrand Piccard successfully landed in Abu Dhabi," it was posted in project's official Twitter page.

Andre Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard are the founders of the Solar Impulse project and both are taking turns piloting the single-seater SI-2 during the round-the-world flight, which started in March with the plane’s departure from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates.

SI-2 can reach a maximum speed of 140 kilometers (87 miles) per hour. Its wingspan is 72 meters (236 feet) and the weight is only 2,300 kilograms, or 5,070 pounds, equivalent to that of a car. The plane is powered by sun energy collected by over 17,200 solar cells covering its wings, fuselage and tailplane.