Swiss Pilot Sets New Altitude Record for Solar Plane

Swiss pilot Raphael Domjan has broken the altitude record for a solar-powered electric aircraft, reaching 9,521 meters (31,237 feet) in his SolarStratos plane during a five-hour flight from Sion Airport in southwest Switzerland on August 8, 2025. The achievement surpasses the previous record of 9,235 meters, set in 2010 by fellow Swiss aviator André Borschberg in the Solar Impulse.

The SolarStratos mission said the landmark flight took advantage of warm air thermals before switching to stored solar energy for the final climb. At cruising altitude, Domjan crossed paths with a commercial airliner—a symbolic moment for the team, which sees the project as a glimpse of “the decarbonized aviation of tomorrow.”

Domjan, a 53-year-old “eco-adventurer” known for completing the first solar-powered circumnavigation by boat in 2012, aims to become the first to fly a solar aircraft above 10,000 meters, matching the cruising altitude of modern airliners. If successful, the team plans to attempt the first manned solar-powered flight into the stratosphere, which begins around 12,000 meters at Switzerland’s latitude.

SolarStratos, a carbon fiber aircraft with a 24.8-meter wingspan and 22 square meters of solar panels, can take off at just 50 km/h and cruise at around 80 km/h. To qualify for certification by the World Air Sports Federation, the flight must use only solar-generated power from fully charged batteries, land with at least 16% charge remaining, and meet strict altitude measurement standards.

“This milestone shows the world of tomorrow can be better than today,” Domjan said, emphasizing the potential of clean aviation technology for future generations.


Related News: https://airguide.info/?s=solar+power, https://airguide.info/category/air-travel-business/aircraft-finance/

Sources: AirGuide Business airguide.info, bing.com, cbsnews.com