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Solar Impulse: Solar plane makes forced Japan landing

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Media caption,

Ayshah finds out why the Solar Impulse plane was forced to land

A solar-powered plane has landed safely in Japan after being forced to stop its flight across the Pacific Ocean because of bad weather.

Poor weather conditions forced the Solar Impulse craft to head back to Nagoya, Japan, to land.

The aircraft, which set off from China on Saturday, had hoped to reach Hawaii by the end of the week.

Pilot Andre Borschberg will now wait in Japan for better weather before attempting to continue .

Media caption,

Bertrand Piccard: "If it was easy someone else would have done it before"

The plane will now be tied down and protected from the weather in a hangar, which is a large warehouse where airplanes are kept, while experts look for a new opportunity to cross the Pacific.

Solar Impulse is attempting to make the first journey around the globe by an aeroplane powered only by the sun.

LEG 1: 9 March. Abu Dhabi (UAE) to Muscat (Oman) - 441km; in 13 hours and 1 minute

LEG 2: 10 March. Muscat (Oman) to Ahmedabad (India) - 1,468km; in 15 hours and 20 minutes

LEG 3: 18 March. Ahmedabad (India) to Varanasi (India) - 1,215km; in 13 hours and 15 minutes

LEG 4: 19 March. Varanasi (India) to Mandalay (Myanmar) - 1,398km; in 13 hours and 29 minutes

LEG 5: 29 March. Mandalay (Myanmar) to Chongqing (China) - 1,459km; in 20 hours and 29 minutes

LEG 6: 21 April. Chongqing (China) to Nanjing China - 1,241km; in 17 hours and 22 minutes

LEG 7: 31 May. Nanjing (China) to Kalaeloa, Hawaii (USA) - 8,200km; journey aborted, plane diverted to Nagoya, Japan