Solar Plane Completes Maiden Flight On The Way To The Stratosphere

The SolarStratos, a super-light, white two-seater aircraft with long wings coated with solar panels, took off from Payerne. The aircraft intends to see the curvature of the earth and fly at an altitude of about 23,000 meters.

The brainchild of pilot Raphael Domjan, the solar-powered plane flown by test pilot Damian Hischier, attained a height of about 304 meters in its first ever flight.

Commenting on the maiden flight, the plane's designers expressed anxiety before take-off and the absolute pleasure of realising that "SolarStratos flies".

"The plane rolled faster and faster, while our heartbeats accelerated to a crisis. And there, all of a sudden, the wheels left the track. Ultimate adrenaline rush, followed by a moment of incredulity and the explosion of joy," the statement reads.

"With this step completed, we can look forward to the next adventures with peace of mind. Of course, the road to flying at very high altitude is long, but we are confident of getting there."

Domjan stated that the final goal of SolarStratos is to convince people that "it is possible to go beyond what fossil fuels offer."

In the future, the eco-adventure company desire to be able to open up stratospheric flights to the public, passengers will require wearing an astronaut's suit and helmet since the lightweight aircraft is not pressurised.

The project arrives after two of Domjan's compatriots, Bertrand Piccard and Andre Borschberg, completed the first-ever round-the-globe journey in a solar plane last year, to showcase the potentialities for the future of renewable energy.