SolarStratos sets new world altitude record for solar-powered electric aircraft
Pilot Raphaël Domjan flew the experimental HB-SXA to 9,640 m, earning three Fédération Aéronautique Internationale records for solar-powered flight.
On a flight departing from Sion Airport, Raphaël Domjan piloted the SolarStratos HB-SXA to an altitude of 9,640 m, surpassing the previous 9,235 m record held by Bertrand Piccard’s Solar Impulse. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale officially recognized three records: the highest altitude for a solar-powered aircraft, the greatest altitude gain in that category, and the highest altitude for an electric aircraft in the C-1b class.
The mission, lasting 5 hours 9 minutes, relied solely on solar energy and clean thermals from the Valais terrain. In addition, Domjan received the Louis Blériot medal for outstanding aeronautical performance. The achievement marks a milestone in the project's ten-year quest to reach the stratosphere with a fully electric, solar-driven aircraft.
