Airbus Perlan glider reaches new heights

(Credit: Perlan Project)

Now in its second season of testing near the Patagonian city of El Calafate, the Perlan 2 team is aiming to eclipse the current world gliding altitude record of 50,727 feet. That milestone was set in 2006 by Einar Enevoldsen and the late Steve Fossett, flying the Perlan 1 glider.

As well as making an attempt at the record, Perlan 2 has been designed to collect scientific data on the Earth’s atmosphere, without the distorting presence of engines. It’s hoped the information it collects can provide insights on climate change, weather and high-altitude flight.

“Just last month the world witnessed another reminder of the importance of understanding climate change, with the fracture from the Antarctic ice shelf of an iceberg the size of the state of Delaware,” said Perlan Project CEO Ed Warnock.

“Airbus Perlan Mission II will allow us to study a range of atmospheric phenomenon that ultimately will give us more accurate models of our upper atmosphere and the climatic changes that matter to every world citizen.”