Solar Impulse 2 has successfully landed in Hawaii after completing its audacious five-day journey across the Pacific Ocean.
The mission, which has been dogged by recent delays, touched down safely at Kalaeloa Airport just before 5pm BST (6am local time) with André Borschberg in the cockpit.
He had endured more than 100 hours alone in the plane with minimal sleep during the flight - smashing the record for the longest solo flight in aviation history.
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Coming in for a landing, Solar Impulse 2, powered by the sun's rays and piloted by Andre Borschberg, approaches Kalaeloa Airport near Honolulu after a 120-hour voyage from Nagoya, Japan.
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Swiss pilot André Borschberg has successfully landed in Hawaii (pictured). He spent more than 100 hours alone in the single-seater plane, smashing the record for the longest solo flight in aviation history. The journey from Nagoya, Japan had been severely delayed.
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Solar Impulse 2 began its multi-leg 22,000-mile (35,400km) round-the-world trip on 9 March this year, taking off from Abu Dhabi and landing safely in Oman 12 hours and 250 miles (400km) later after its first leg. Shown here is the path it has taken around the world so far, and its planned upcoming route.
The landing brings to an end the first of two five-day flights made by the plane as it attempts to circumnavigate the world powered by nothing other than the sun.
The next lengthy five-day stint - over the Atlantic - will be flown by Swiss co-pilot Betrand Piccard.
Solar Impulse tweeted, after the successful landing:
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Next up will be a four-day flight to Phoenix, Arizona, followed by a crossing of the US, the trip across the Atlantic, a journey over Europe or Africa and finally a return to Abu Dhabi, where the mission began on 9 March 2015.
Mr Borschberg left Nagoya, Japan at 7.23pm BST last Sunday (3.03 am local time on Monday) after a month of delays.
The plane had originally been intended to fly straight from China to Hawaii, but worsening weather on the way meant Mr Borschberg had to abort and land in Japan.
Bad weather had also kept the plane grounded in China for several weeks longer than intended.
Mr Piccard told MailOnline previously that the crossing of the Atlantic needed to be completed before 6 August, or there would not be enough light for the flight to occur.
If it cannot be completed by then, the journey will have to be postponed until spring next year.
This Vine video shows the Solar Impulse 2 landing in Hawaii (Click Image To View)
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This was the second attempt at crossing the Pacific after the the first, a month ago, had to be aborted due to bad weather. The map above shows the actual route taken by the solar-powered aircraft as it flew to Hawaii in yellow and the planned route as a dotted white line.
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Before landing in Hawaii, Mr Borschberg (pictured) had to deal with a minor battery problem, and also had to fly the plane over a sizeable weather front.
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Pictured on the right of the image above, Prince Albert of Monaco applauds the safe landing of the plane at the Mission Control Centre.
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The plane is pictured here above Hawaii about an hour before the successful landing. Next up will be a four-day flight to Phoenix, Arizona, followed by a crossing of the US, the trip across the Atlantic, a journey over Europe or Africa and finally a return to Abu Dhabi, where the mission began on 9 March 2015.
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Swiss co-pilot Bertrand Piccard, pictured here, stayed in constant contact with Mr Borschberg from the control centre in Monaco throughout the flight.
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Mr Borschberg left Nagoya, Japan (pictured) at 7.23pm BST last Sunday (3.03am local time on Monday) on the five-day trek across the Pacific Ocean.
The plane, covered in 17,000 photovoltaic solar cells, has a top speed of just 50mph (80km/h), and can support only one pilot at a time.
For this reason, the pilots are taking alternating turns to fly legs between countries.
The goal of the project is also to show the possibilities of renewable energy such as solar power.
Bertrand Piccard said on Twitter.
"This flight to Hawaii is not only an aviation historic first, but also a historic first for energy and cleantechs."
The journey across the Pacific broke the previous record for the longest solo flight by two days.
This had previously been 76 hours, set by American Steve Fossett in 2006, when he circumnavigated the world in a jet, travelling 26,389 miles (42,468km).
Mr. Piccard said.
"Can you imagine that a solar powered airplane without fuel can now fly longer than a jet plane, This is a clear message that clean technologies can achieve impossible goals."
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Use the following interactive tool to explore various features of the plane.
Solar Impulse Si2 by Solar Impulse on Sketchfab
Before landing in Hawaii, Mr Borschberg had to deal with a minor battery problem, and also had to fly the plane over a sizeable weather front.
Mr. Borschberg said from his cockpit, where he also tweets regularly.
"The first 24 hours were very technical, but the second day was really getting me into the mission. It took me a while to create a relationship of trust with the airplane, which allows me to rest and eventually sleep by periods of 20 minutes with the autopilot."
The short periods of rest, known as catnaps, are all Mr Borschberg was afforded.
He added.
"The experience of flight is so intense that I can only focus on the present moment and discover how to deal with my own energy and mindset,"
After landing, Mr Piccard is to be tasked with the next leg, the four-day crossing to Phoenix, Arizona.
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Swiss pilot André Borschberg (shown in the cockpit of Solar Impulse 2) was in the air for more than 100 hours. This is a new record for the longest solo flight in aviation history.
COMMENTARY: In 1986, Dick Rutan and Jeana Yeager completed the first nonstop, non-refueled flight around the world in 9 days, 3 minutes and 44 seconds aboard Voyager. I thought that flight was pretty exciting, but Rutan and Yeager took turns piloting the Burt Rutan-designed, single-purpose Voyager plane while the other slept.
The planned round-the-world flight of the Solar Inpulse 2 has been a record breaking and historic mission that if completed successfully, will demonstrate what solar power technology can accomplish. The Solar Inpulse is just about halfway through its journey to circumnavigate the globe. Let's hope the pilots can do it.
Courtesy of an article dated July 3, 2015 appearing in the Daily Mail
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