Aeronaut Bertrand "Jean Luc" Piccard (nickname ours) has already been around the world once. The first time he did it in a hot air balloon, called the Breitling Orbiter 3. Now he wants to do it again with the Solar Impulse, which looks like a pretty good candidate to win the title of first solar aircraft to circumnavigate the globe.

Before it does the long haul, though, it'll tackle a short one. The Solar Impulse is scheduled for a test run toward the end of this year, with those involved planning a continuous two-day-long trip, which includes the night. It will be powered entirely by solar energy.

As for the aircraft itself, it's made out of carbon fiber materials, has a wingspan of about 200 feet, and it's covered with over 12,000 solar cells that power four individual 10-horsepower motors. Check out more of the Solar Impulse in the gallery below.

Solar Impulse, via Inhabitat