First Solar Plane Capable of Flying During Day and Night Takes Off

For a cross country flight

A solar-powered airplane that can fly day and night without using a single drop of fuel embarked on an unprecedented flight across the United States Friday (May 3).

The solar-powered aircraft, named Solar Impulse, took off from Moffett Airfield near San Francisco, Calif., shortly after 9 a.m. EDT (6 a.m. PDT). The plane will now head south on the first 19-hour leg of its journey, and is expected to touch down at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport on Saturday (May 4) at 4 a.m. EDT (1 a.m. PDT).