Piccard never intended the vehicle for commercial use, but instead envisioned it as a way to raise awareness for sustainable energy by building the first solar-powered plane capable of circumnavigating the globe.

Solar Impulse 2, the aircraft that completed the first solar-powered global flight in 2016, crashed in the Gulf of Mexico during military testing.

Solar Impulse 2, the pioneering aircraft known for the first round-the-world solar flight, was lost during an uncrewed flight, ending its decade-long journey in the skies.

The solar-powered aircraft circumnavigated the world in 2015 and 2016.

Solar Impulse 2, the Swiss experimental aircraft that flew around the world in 2016 without jet fuel, has crashed into the Gulf of Mexico. Its owner, Skydweller Aero, said the aircraft had been converted into a drone and was involved in a US Navy exercise.