André Borschberg and Bertrand Piccard with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at a special event organized by the Permanent Mission of Switzerland. [UN Photo/Rick Bajornas][/caption]With the wingspan of a jumbo jet but the weight of a compact-sized car and powered by thousands of solar cells, each the width of a strand of hair, meet Solar Impulse, the first plane powered only by solar energy.

Solar Impulse made headlines on the 6th of July when it landed at Kennedy Airport in New York after flying day and night across the United States on nothing but the energy of the sun.

Gerry Adams has the story.

Duration: 3'17"