Solar-powered aircraft reaches new height in Swiss skies
In a groundbreaking achievement, the SolarStratos team has successfully broken the altitude record for a solar-powered manned aircraft. Swiss explorer Raphaël Domjan piloted the SolarStratos aircraft to a height of 9,521 meters (31,237 feet) on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, surpassing the previous record set by the Solar Impulse plane in 2010.
The flight lasted over five hours, and Domjan relied solely on solar energy and thermal updrafts to reach and maintain this impressive altitude. The official certification of this record is pending validation by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), which oversees aviation records under standardized criteria.
Domjan's achievement not only broke the prior record but also symbolically crossed paths with a commercial airliner at that cruising altitude, highlighting the potential for clean, decarbonized aviation in the future. The SolarStratos team continues to aim for even higher altitudes, with plans to reach 10,000 meters and achieve a manned solar stratospheric flight.
The SolarStratos team's mission is to capture imaginations with emblematic, spectacular challenges that promote solar energy and the protection of our biosphere and planet. The team's goal has already been fulfilled with this milestone: to promote solar energy and the protection of our planet.
The SolarStratos plane made a landmark flight from Sion airport in southwest Switzerland on Tuesday. After landing, Domjan celebrated with a traditional Swiss raclette, marking the end of a successful mission.
This achievement marks a major milestone towards reaching the stratosphere using only solar power. Raphael Domjan, the pilot, aims to be the first to take a solar-powered plane above 10,000 metres, the altitude of airliners. The data from Domjan's flight will be sent to the World Air Sports Federation governing body, and the team eagerly awaits the validation of their new altitude record.
References: 1. BBC News 2. CNN 3. The Guardian 4. The New York Times 5. SolarStratos Official Website
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