Solar space plane makes public debut

Weighing 450kg, the two-seater plane has a wingspan of 24.8m and is covered with 22m² of photovoltaic panels, operating with a cell efficiency of 22-24 per cent. These power a 32kW electric motor, which drives the 2.2m propellers. Lithium-ion batteries provide 20kWh of storage.

The project is the brainchild of Raphael Domjan, who in 2012 became the first person to circumnavigate the world in a solar-powered boat as part of the PlanetSolar venture. Piloting SolarStratos, he will now attempt to be the first person to reach the stratosphere in a solar-powered aircraft, flying to more than 80,000 feet.

“This is a great day for the SolarStratos team,” said Domjan. “Our goal is to demonstrate that current technology offers us the possibility to achieve above and beyond what fossil fuels offer.”

“Electric and solar vehicles are amongst the major challenges of the 21^st century. Our aircraft can fly at an altitude of 25,000m and this opens the door to the possibility of electric and solar commercial aviation, close to space.”