Solar Impulse 2's batteries, which are the source of power for the plane's night flying, have been determined to have overheated during its recent five-day flight from Japan to Hawaii, forcing the team behind the solar-powered plane to postpone the next leg of its journey to April 2016.
"The damage to the batteries is not a technical failure or a weakness in the technology," the team said, adding that they did not properly prepare for the temperature effect of quick ascents and descents in tropical climates, Fox News reported.
The plane took off from Abu Dhabi in March and made stops in Oman, Myanmar and China. It made an unplanned landing in Japan for nearly a month after high winds damaged its wing.
Co-pilot Andre Borschberg took Solar Impulse 2 on a 118-hour flight, breaking the record for the longest nonstop solo flight. It was also the most dangerous flight made by the plane, since there will be no available landing space in case an emergency occurred.
The aircraft's landing in Hawaii on July 3 was celebrated, but it was achieved at the cost of overheating the batteries.
"Exploration and adventure is not only when you raise the flag with a success, but also when you have delays, problems, doubts and you have to build up a lot of ... courage inside the team," said Bertrand Piccard, chairman of the project and one of the two pilots for the single-seat aircraft, USA Today reported.
