Solar Impulse, the Swiss long-range experimental solar-powered aircraft project, has raised $20m to resume and finish its journey around the globe.
The flight’s journey was halted in Hawaii due to battery problems following overheating.
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Former Swiss Air Force fighter pilot André Borschberg, one of the co-pilots of the plane, said the power banks of the plane got damaged during the crossing of the Pacific from Japan to Hawaii. The duration of the flight was five days and nights.
Crosswinds in China also delayed their journey by a few weeks.
At the United Nations’ Paris climate summit, Borschberg announced that with funding from chemical group Solvay, Swiss lift manufacturer Schindler, power grid maker ABB and Swatch’s Omega brand, the flight will continue its journey in early 2016.
In March, Borschberg and co-pilot Bertrand Piccard started the record around the world journey from Abu Dhabi. They expected to finish 35,000km (21,748 miles) multi-leg circumnavigation this year.
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By GlobalDataBorschberg was quoted by Reuters saying: "The financial side is under control. We know we can do it but it remains a challenge.
"That [solar] is what we used to make it feasible to fly day and night with the sun only. That’s what we certainly could implement on a larger scale."
Borschberg and Piccard began their journey on a solar powered plane to spread the message of using renewable energy technology to stop climate change.
The plane used by Borschberg and Piccard has 17,248 solar cells and a wide wing-span. It weighs the size of a five-seat family car.
Image: SI2 reached Hawaii on 3 July. Photo: courtesy of Solar Impulse.
