Solar Impulse Grounded Until Next Year

Damage to the batteries during the long flight to Hawaii can't be quickly repaired, the Solar Impulse team said on Wednesday, so the unique aircraft will remain hangared until April 2016 before resuming its round-the-world flight. "During the first ascend on day one of the flight from Nagoya to Hawaii, the battery temperature increased due to a high climb rate and an over-insulation of the gondolas," according to the team's website. "And while the Mission Team was monitoring this very closely during the flight, there was no way to decrease the temperature for the remaining duration as each daily cycle requires an ascend to 28,000 feet and descend for optimal energy management." The repairs will take several months.

The University of Hawaii with the support of the Department of Transportation will host the airplane in its hangar at Kalaeloa airport. Post-maintenance check flights will start in 2016 to test the new battery heating and cooling systems. Except for the battery problem, the airplane performed well during the long Pacific crossing, the team said. The battery issue was not due to a technical failure, the team said, but an "evaluation error" in terms of the mission profile -- "thetemperatureof the batteries in a quick ascend / descend in tropical climates was not properly anticipated." According to the website, the team is confident they can upgrade the system to prevent future problems.