SolarStratos Project Plans To Take A Solar-Powered Airplane An Altitude Of Over 15 Miles

The project is ambitious one. Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan, the founder of SolarStratos, hopes to get into a solar-powered airplane and fly it to an altitude of more than 15 miles sometime in 2018.

Wired magazine reports that Domjan, 44, hopes to be the highest airplane ever, regardless of propulsion.

Domjan says that the mission would "send a strong message about the potential of clean technology. Maybe exploration can be used to protect our planet."

SolarStratos was founded in March 2014, and has already raised about $5 million towards building a prototype airplane. But it will take at least another $5 million to get to the point where the flight can be attempted. An experimental aircraft is expected to be delivered by the specialty aviation company PC-Solar by the end of this year.

When it is finished, the SolarStratos aircraft will weigh 992 pounds and be powered by 237 square feet of solar panels, according to the company's website. It will have an 81-foot wingspan and be powered by two 91kW motors generating about 50 horsepower.

A specialized pressure suit will be developed by Zvezda, a russian company specializing in spaceflight. The suit, which will cost about $1 million, will be donated by the company, according to the report.

The first test flight of SolarStratos is planned by the end of the year, and the first record-breaking flight will be attempted in the second half of 2017.

Domjan said the ultimate goal is to develop a three-place solar-powered airplane with a pressurized cabin that will carry a pilot and two paying passengers by 2021.

(Image from Facebook)

FMI: www.solarstratos.com/en