Spring Swiss company SolarStratos began testing stratospheric aircraft, powered by solar energy. During the first flight, he was able to climb to a height of 300 meters and flew for seven minutes. Then, inspired by the developers announced that it will fly into the stratosphere in 2019, but I guess things are going even better — recently they announced that the flight will take place a year earlier.
The length of the plane is 8.5 meters, its wingspan is 25 meters, it will work from a lithium battery at 20 kW. In order to facilitate construction, the engineers who design the aircraft, decided to abandon elements without which you can do. Therefore, the cabin will not be to insulate and make airtight the pilot will have to fly a plane in his suit. It is planned that the flight in the stratosphere will last 15 minutes.
If SolarStratos will be able to rise to a height of 23 miles, this will be a great breakthrough and will allow a startup to move on. In the future, the company plans to take on Board SolarStratos tourists, but it all must be very careful to test and consider.
Previously, the creators of airplane manufactured boat powered by solar energy, so experience in the use of clean energy, they do not occupy. The developers are obsessed with the idea of sustainable transport and want to show everyone that the use of solar panels can make transport cleaner, cheaper and more modern.
Flight electroanalyt SolarStratos in the stratosphere will take place next year
Vyacheslav Larionov