SolarStratos flies above 31,000 feet on solar power alone in Raphaël Domjan’s record attempt

When it comes to solar-powered achievement, the SolarStratos has climbed into the stratosphere and broken records. The brains behind this mission was Raphael Domjan, a Swiss eco explorer, who piloted the aircraft relying only on the power of the sun. Flying without fuel is rather ambitious, but flying to altitudes above 31,000 feet is all the more remarkable. This aviation mission has broken records and shown that the aviation realm does not need to rely on fossil fuels any longer.

A flight that managed to take off without any fuel

SolarStratos is one of the first human-piloted flights that utilizes 100% renewable power only. Moving away from fossil fuels that have for so long dominated the aviation industry, this flight produced no emissions. This project has showcased and will continue to show the world how clean solar energy can result in an aircraft flying into the uppermost layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.

This flight ignited the imagination of the public, proving that strategic technological solutions can lead to the reduction of the carbon footprint, even in the aviation industry. For this solar aviation mission, Domjan relied on solar cells on the aircraft’s wings that charged batteries on board throughout the flight. After years of engineering and overcoming technical challenges, the team was able to showcase that relying on cleaner fuel options could mean exceeding altitude records that have already been set.

Creating the very first solar-powered aircraft

The aircraft, registered as HB-SXA, was meant for much higher altitude missions. For this aircraft, the wings were of utmost importance. Having a wingspan of 24.8 meters, the plane allowed for over 236 square feet of highly effective solar panels to be placed above its wings. The panels could generate electricity while providing power to twin electric motors.

For the record-breaking flight, the team went a step further by relying on thermal updrafts to make the plane’s ascent far smoother. Of most importance during this record-breaking flight was the moment when the SolarStratos crossed paths with one of the commercial airliners. What was startlingly amazing was the fact that the solar aircraft could fly alongside an airplane that was still powered by fuel. This scene set the tone for what the future of clean aviation could look like.

Creating a cockpit to suit the motive of this aircraft

While this aircraft was created to be controlled by a pilot, the cockpit has taken on a rather minimalistic look and feel. For flying this plane, it is important to keep checking battery levels and to keep an eye on thermal conditions that may change rather drastically at higher altitudes. The cockpit was created taking into consideration all of the needs of Domjan during the five-hour mission.

It must also be noted that many companies have taken an interest in green energy for the aviation sector. A company called Whisper Aero from Tennessee even created an electric propulsion system engine that is quieter than a library, whilst still being 100% clean.

Making room for a flight without fuel in the future

The SolarStratos feat was the result of many years of dedication and quality engineering techniques that saw sophisticated pilots working alongside solar experts. Under the rightful leadership of Raphael Domjan, this project was able to reach its ultimate goal of pushing renewable energy adoption to the aviation sector as well. This project is essential should we wish to pave the way for a sustainable aviation future. It is, however, not only in the aviation sector that we are moving to the next stage in the renewable energy journey.