Swiss adventurer Raphael Domjan set an astonishing altitude record during a flight of the solar-powered aircraft SolarStratos, reaching an altitude of 9,521 meters, surpassing the highest record in fifteen years and demonstrating new possibilities of solar aviation technology.
The 53-year-old Domjan took off from Sion Airport in southwestern Switzerland on Tuesday, August 12th, using thermal updrafts to achieve a certified height of 9,521 meters (31,234 feet), breaking the all-time record for solar-powered flights.
The entire flight lasted 5 hours and 9 minutes.
The SolarStratos flight team released a statement on Wednesday, August 13th, calling this achievement a significant milestone on the path towards reaching the stratosphere reliant solely on solar power.
Domjan, an explorer who became the first person to circumnavigate the globe in a fully solar-powered boat in 2012, shared his joy after this flight, saying, “I want to share this moment of joy with all those who have worked hard over the years to achieve this milestone.”
Domjan’s goal is to become the first person to pilot a solar-powered aircraft above 10,000 meters – the same altitude as commercial airliners.
If he successfully achieves this goal, he and his team hope to further accomplish the feat of the first manned solar-powered flight into the stratosphere, which in Switzerland begins at around 12,000 meters.
The solar-powered aircraft, registered as HB-SXA, features a front propeller design and is made of lightweight yet sturdy carbon fiber material. It measures 9.6 meters in length, has a wingspan of 24.8 meters, and is equipped with high-spec solar panels covering 22 square meters on its wings, providing sufficient power and support for low-speed flight.
The aircraft is capable of taking off at low speeds, with a minimum speed of 50 kilometers per hour, a maximum speed of 140 kilometers per hour, and a cruising speed of approximately 80 kilometers per hour.
Domjan told Agence France-Presse that he hopes to convey a message to both current and future young generations through this flight – that flying without the use of fossil fuels and with zero carbon emissions is possible in the future.
The SolarStratos team stated that the data from Domjan’s flight will be submitted to the World Air Sports Federation (FAI) for review to determine the formal certification of this new record.
The team emphasized that aviation altitude records cannot solely be based on the actual flight altitude of the aircraft, but must be corrected for “standard density altitude” – a calculated altitude considering factors such as atmospheric pressure and temperature to be officially recognized.
Furthermore, to obtain official certification, the entire energy used during the flight must be solely provided by the solar panels.
Before the flight, the batteries must be fully charged using solar power. After the flight, the aircraft must land safely using its own power, not gliding or depleting all the battery power, and the batteries must retain at least 16% of their power during landing to ensure there is sufficient energy to control the aircraft for a safe landing.
Currently, the highest record for solar-powered flight was achieved in 2010 by the Solar Impulse experimental aircraft, piloted by Swiss aviator Andre Borschberg.
Another Swiss adventurer, Bertrand Piccard, completed a segmented round-the-world flight from March 2015 to July 2016 piloting a solar-powered aircraft.