One other air document has been (unofficially) damaged as a prop-driven photo voltaic/electrical plane reached the very best altitude but for its sort. On August 12, 2025, a modified Elektra One reached 31,237 ft (9,521 m) within the skies over Switzerland.
Taking off from Sion Airport with SolarStratos founder Raphaël Domjan on the controls, the plane registered as HB-SXA carried out a five-hour, nine-minute flight fully underneath solar energy, with a two-hour ascent and a three-hour descent over the Valais Alps .
Weighing a mere 992 lb (450 kg), the plane had wings spanning 81.4 ft (24.8 m), which had been coated with photo voltaic panels that powered a 43-bhp electrical motor reportedly working at 90% effectivity. A 20-kWh lithium-ion battery offered backup, giving the plane an estimated endurance of 24 hours.
SolarsStratos
That won’t appear to be numerous efficiency for not a lot energy, however the HB-SXA is basically a powered glider designed to reap the benefits of thermals and different updrafts to achieve and keep altitude. It is a part of the SolarStratos mission, which is a Swiss aeronautical initiative geared toward demonstrating the potential of photo voltaic and electrical energy for high-altitude, long-duration flight, with the last word aim being to soar into the stratosphere at 82,000 ft (25,000 m).
To do that, the plane has been modified to be ultralight, together with leaving the cockpit unpressurized, so Domjan was clad in a specifically made stress go well with for defense from each the shortage of air and the acute chilly.
Although SolarStratos claims to have damaged the earlier altitude document of 30,298 ft (9235 m) set by Solar Impulse 3 on July 9, 2010, it is nonetheless unofficial pending affirmation by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI).
Supply: SolarStratos
