The video above carries us from New York to Spain aboard the futuristic Solar Impulse 2 airplane. It’s the 15th leg of the all-solar craft’s around-the-world flight—which can’t help but remind one of Charles Lindbergh’s similar crossing 91 years ago. Slate’s been covering the Solar Impulse since its unveiling in 2012, and it has had, to say the least, quite a journey.
The Solar Impulse 2 is packed with cutting-edge tech that makes it arguably the cleanest plane ever flown. Its wings hold 17,0000 solar cells, and its wingspan is wider than a Boeing 747’s. While it’s made the news for its progress in circumnavigating the globe, its real mission is to inspire the development of other new, eco-friendly aircraft.
The Solar Impulse 2 took off into the New York night sky late on June 20 for its 71-hour, 8-minute flight. Through night and day, the plane made its way to Seville, Spain, as its sizable crew anxiously monitored it from the ground. On June 23, at long last—and escorted by the Spanish formation flying team Patrulla Aguila—Solar Impulse 2 became the first all-electric, all-solar plane to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
