Next Stop Phoenix For Solar Impulse 2 'Round-The-World Aircraft

Next stop — Phoenix. That’s the plan for the solar powered aircraft known as the Solar Impulse 2. 

Its 'round-the-world flight started last year and after a nine-month delayin Hawaii to repair and replace batteries, the aircraft took off for the mainland Thursday.

The Solar Impulse 2 landed in Mountain View, California, on Saturday night. The arrival followed a 62-hour, nonstop flight from Hawaii.

Two pilots have been taking turns flying the plane since taking off from Abu Dhabi in March 2015.

The trans-Pacific legs were the riskiest part of the plane's travels because of the lack of emergency landing sites.

The plane's wings are equipped with 17,000 solar cells that power propellers and charge batteries. The plane runs on stored energy at night.

Solar Impulse 2 will make several stops in the United States before crossing the Atlantic Ocean to Europe or northern Africa, according to the Solar Impulse 2 website.

The plane is scheduled to take off this week, and the next stop could be Phoenix, depending on the weather.