Archive · 13 Aug 2025
Swiss Pilot Soars to New Heights, Breaks Solar Plane Record
A Swiss pilot named Raphael Domjan flew a special plane that runs on sunlight higher than anyone ever has before.
His plane, called SolarStratos, went up to a height of 9,521 meters, beating a 15-year-old record.
The flight took over five hours, and the pilot celebrated with some cheese.
The team is now trying to get the plane to fly even higher, aiming to reach the same altitude as big passenger airplanes.
The goal is to show off how well solar power can work and to encourage people to protect the planet.
Swiss pilot Raphael Domjan broke the altitude record for a solar-powered electric plane.
The SolarStratos plane reached 9,521 meters, surpassing the previous record of 9,235 meters.
The flight took place from Sion airport in Switzerland and lasted five hours and nine minutes.
Domjan aims to be the first to fly a solar-powered plane above 10,000 meters.
The team hopes to eventually make a manned solar-powered flight into the stratosphere.
- Who
- Swiss pilot Raphael Domjan
- What
- Raphael Domjan broke the altitude record for a solar-powered electric plane.
- When
- Tuesday
- Where
- Sion airport in Switzerland
- Why
- To break the altitude record and promote solar energy.
- Pilot
- Raphael Domjan
- Plane
- SolarStratos
- Altitude Reached
- 9,521 meters
- Previous Record
- 9,235 meters
- Flight Duration
- 5 hours, 9 minutes