Solar plane flies around Matterhorn

Solar aeroplane flies around the Matterhorn Keystone-SDA

Solar energy pioneer Raphaël Domjan and his team continued preparations for the altitude record attempt at 10,000 metres with the SolarStratos solar aircraft.

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From Sion in Valais, HB-SXA climbed to an altitude of more than 4,000 metres on Friday.

Domjan flew past the Matterhorn, among other places. The aircraft is to be prepared to fly to an altitude of 10,000 metres. This would be a record for manned electric solar aeroplanes.

SolarStratos was previously stationed in Payerne. Domjan and his team have taken up residence at Sion airport for the summer. There, the experts are waiting for the “first favourable weather window” to take advantage of the summer thermals and fly the aircraft to the targeted altitude.

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Domjan made his first attempt last summer, but it ended at 5,963 metres. This meant that he was unable to beat Bertrand Piccard’s Solar Impulse altitude record of 9,235 metres.

With all the work that has been done since last summer, the knowledge gained, increased battery capacity and the new variable pitch propeller, the team is ready to take on the challenge, Domjan said in a press release.

With this project, the Neuchâtel adventurer and his team want to show the younger generation in particular that renewable energies such as solar energy make it possible to “continue to realise dreams, such as continuing to fly, even in a low-carbon future”.

Translated from German by DeepL/ts

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