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Solar drone with jumbo jet wingspan broke a flight record—then it crashed
No one was injured as the converted solar drone lost power during a test flight and sank after a controlled water ditching, officials said.
- On May 4, the Skydweller drone crashed into the Gulf during an autonomous test flight after suffering catastrophic electrical power loss shortly after departing Stennis International Airport in Mississippi.
- Swiss psychiatrist Bertrand Piccard and entrepreneur André Borschberg originally piloted the aircraft during a historic 2015–2016 solar-powered circumnavigation of Earth; Skydweller Aero purchased and converted it into an uncrewed military surveillance system in 2019.
- Before the crash, the Skydweller achieved a record-breaking flight of eight days and 14 minutes; the company reported a "controlled water ditching" around 6:30 am Eastern Time, though the non-buoyant composite structure subsequently sank.
- The Swiss Museum of Transport in Lucerne will not receive the historic aircraft for display following the crash; meanwhile, the Pentagon has proposed investing at least $54 billion into drone warfare systems.
- Skydweller Aero stated it has no immediate replacement prototypes ready, though the company plans upgrades using existing technology to help future drones withstand extreme weather conditions.
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The Solar Impulse 2, the aircraft of Bertrand Piccard, crashed at sea in the Gulf of Mexico, learned the AFP on Thursday 14 May from its owner in the United States. The plane was made famous for having made a world tour in 2016, flying with solar energy.
Piloted by Bertrand Piccard and André Borschberg, the aircraft had completed a historic tour of the world in 2016 by flying with solar energy.
·Paris, France
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Bertrand Piccard's historic aircraft, converted into a drone by Skydweller Aero, finished its race in the Gulf of Mexico after a military mission to Bertrand's pioneer aircraft
·France
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources24
Leaning Left5Leaning Right5Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution36% Left, 36% Right
Bias Distribution
- 36% of the sources lean Left, 36% of the sources lean Right
36% Right
L 36%
C 28%
R 36%
Factuality
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