Expected To Occur Wednesday If All Goes According To Plan

At Roberts Field Redmond Municipal Airport in Redmond, Oregon, the Airbus Perlan Mission II glider will attempt its first flight in what will be a landmark moment in global aviation history, according to Airbus.

The Perlan 2 glider is the world’s first engineless aircraft designed to fly at the edge of space.

On Wednesday, 23 September 2015, Perlan 2 will attempt its first ever test flight, running a series of checks at 5,000 ft at the Redmond Airport in Redmond, Oregon.

Over the next nine months, the Perlan Project team will prepare for Airbus Perlan Mission II, which will take place in 2016 in Argentina. In this mission, the Perlan 2 glider will attempt to set a new world record for any airplane by soaring at an altitude of 90,000 feet – which is in the uppermost part of Earth’s atmosphere. In doing so, the Perlan Project will open up a world of new discoveries related to high-altitude flight, climate change and space exploration.

The Perlan 2 glider was developed by The Perlan Project, a volunteer-run, nonprofit endeavor headed by leaders in aerospace and engineering. It’s supported by Airbus Group and a group of other sponsors who have donated funds, expertise and in-kind services to ensure the project’s success.

Airbus Group is supporting the effort. “Our company is built on the shoulders of aviation pioneers who pushed the boundaries in their own times,” says Airbus Group CEO Tom Enders. “Hence, when we learned of the Perlan Project and its quest to soar to record heights, we knew we needed to find a way to be part of it. Partnering with the Perlan team is consistent with our core values of furthering innovation in aerospace and of inspiring the next generations of designers, manufacturers and aviators.”

FMI: www.perlanproject.org