Science
Solar-Powered Plane Completes Round-the-World Flight
A lightweight plane running entirely on solar energy has finished a 40,000 km trip around the world without using a single drop of fuel.
40,000 kmtotal distance flown on solar power
The facts
- 1The plane, called SolarStratos, has 22,000 solar cells on its wings.
- 2It flew at an average speed of 70 km/h — much slower than a jet.
- 3The journey took 16 months with stops to recharge batteries on cloudy days.
- 4The pilot and one engineer were the only people on board.
- 5The project aims to prove solar flight is possible for short cargo routes.
Why it matters
If planes can run on sunlight, future aviation could produce far less carbon dioxide, which is one of the gases warming our planet.
Sources
- SolarStratos project — official mission log
- Reuters — Solar plane completes circumnavigation (2026)
- New Scientist — Zero-fuel aviation milestones
