Swiss SolarStratos Aircraft Soars to New Heights, Breaking 15-Year Altitude Record
Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan made history on August 12, 2025, as he piloted the solar-powered SolarStratos aircraft to an altitude of 9,521 meters (31,236 feet) above Switzerland. This remarkable feat shattered a 15-year aviation record, surpassing the previous record of 9,235 meters set by Solar Impulse in 2010.
The flight, which lasted five hours and nine minutes, took off from Sion Airport and relied solely on solar power and thermal currents. In a moment that the team described as a “powerful symbol of what decarbonized aviation of tomorrow might look like”, Domjan crossed paths with a commercial airliner at cruising altitude.
The SolarStratos aircraft is a marvel of modern engineering, boasting a 24.8-meter wingspan covered with 22 square meters of high-efficiency solar panels. The record-breaking flight is currently awaiting official validation by the World Air Sports Federation.
Domjan, a seasoned adventurer who previously circumnavigated the globe in a solar-powered boat, has set his sights even higher. His ultimate goal is to reach 10,000 meters and eventually fly into the stratosphere using only solar energy.
Source: https://aerospaceglobalnews.com/news/solarstratos-altitude-record-solar-powered-flight/