Solar Impulse 2, the world's largest and first solar-powered airplane to attempt to fly around the world, has landed in Chongqing, China, and is being forced to stay in the city for a few days due to unfavorable conditions.
Swiss Pilot and Solar Impulse 2 co-founder Bertrand Piccard landed the plane at the Jiangbei International Airport on Tuesday after a 20-hour-and-29-minute flight from Mandalay, Myanmar, according to Xinhua.
DW reports that during the flight to China, Piccard was forced to wear an oxygen mask and the temperature of the cockpit dropped to -20 degrees Celsius, while he flew over mountainous areas in the country at the beginning of the flight.
Piccard and his team have conceded that the journey from Myanmar to China--the fifth leg in their 12-leg tour--has been the most difficult thus far. Nonetheless, they have expressed joy for being in China and are expected to visit a middle school and promote renewable energy, among other things.
"China has become the top producer of wind and solar power in the world," Piccard said. "If you see the effort the Chinese government has made in optimizing the efficiency of new energy, you will not be surprised the Solar Impulse 2 has drawn so much attention in China."
The Solar Impulse 2 was reportedly scheduled to land briefly at Chongqing before moving on to Nanjing, but due to thunderstorms in Chongqing, it will be in the city for a few days.
The plane, which weighs just about the same as a car, 2,300 kilograms, has the ability to generate the energy to fly using over 17,000 solar cells installed on its 72-meter-long wings.
The Solar Impulse 2 is set to meet its most difficult challenge as it crosses the Pacific Ocean from China to the U.S. Prior to landing in China, the one-seater plane had stopped briefly in Oman, India and Myanmar since it set out from Abu Dhabi on March 9.
The journey around the world is expected to take the Solar Impulse 2 about five months to complete.