Back in 2016, a Swiss explorer and Swiss engineer built a thin plane covered with more than 17,000 solar panels that circumnavigated the Eath without using any fuel. The aircraft has a wingspan the size of a Boeing 747 but only weighs as much as a large car.
Then, in 2019, a US-Spanish start-up called Skydweller Aero bought the Solar Impulse 2 in hopes of turning the plane into the world’s first “pseudo-satellite.” They wanted to create something that could work just like a normal orbiting satellite, but with less environmental impact and the fuel-less Solar Impulse 2 was a perfect choice.
Source: Skydweller Aero/Youtube