Solar plane's first international flight

The Solar Impulse single-seater prototype solar-powered plane has embarked on its first international journey.

The Swiss team said the flight from a small airfield in Switzerland, across France Luxembourg and Belgium, would pose a challenge as it required navigation across international air traffic networks.

In 2010 the plane completed a 26-hour non-stop flight that proved the plane could stay flying at night with the energy that its solar cells received during the day.