A Record That Gives You Wings
Flying solely on solar energy at over 9,500 meters… Crossing paths with a commercial airliner… Seeing the Alps and their climate-worn glaciers from above… Showcasing the immense global potential of solar energy… What could be more exhilarating—or more energizing? Yes, the sun offers us everything we need to decarbonize the world. Here’s a glimpse at our solar news this September 2025, a month that even saw Raphaël Domjan named among the new Tintins!
The Homebase Shined Like Never Before
What an atmosphere—and in full sunshine, no less!—at the celebration of the record-breaking flight. On September 19, friends, partners, and sponsors gathered at our Payerne homebase to celebrate, with our entire team, the incredible flight over the Alps on August 13. A beautiful video by Stéphane Chopard allowed nearly 100 people to relive the experience—complete with moving footage of Raphaël Domjan’s jubilation from inside the cockpit—aan achievement that made HB-SXA the highest-flying manned electric solar airplane in history. And this is just the beginning!
(Re)watch the video:
Cherry on the Cockpit: RAI’s Grand Format
Topping off the August 19 celebration was the broadcast of Grand Format on RAI News. The Italian national channel came to Sion to film this report by Sonia Grande, focusing on the historic flight of August 12 and the SolarStratos mission. Watch here.
A 4’43’’ video that lets you relive the excitement of this challenge. France TV Sports also aired a video. And on the other side of the world, Le Journal de Montréal published a very detailed infographic. What fantastic promotion for solar energy, electric mobility, and a more sustainable world!
If Raphaël Is Tintin… Who’s Our Professor Calculus?
A childhood dream come true for Raphaël Domjan, who was visibly moved to be named among today’s “Tintins”: “It’s an immense honor to be featured in ‘Who Are the Tintins of Today?’ alongside such incredible adventurers.” To the despair of his parents and teachers, Tintin comics were the only books he read with passion!
“Thank you, dear Tintin, for passing on your spirit and love of adventure,” says the founder and pilot of SolarStratos. “Tintin: The Spirit of Adventure” has been on sale since September 17. And if Raphaël is Tintin… who’s our Professor Calculus? Our Bianca Castafiore? Our Seraphin Lampion? Our Nestor? Captain Haddock? Send us your suggestions!
First High-Altitude Mission on Lake Titicaca
And since we clearly love altitude, we can’t resist mentioning a new first: a mission beginning right now on the world’s highest navigable lake—Lake Titicaca at 4,000 meters above sea level. Aboard PlanetSolar II and accompanied by scientists like Xavier Lazzaro, Raphaël Domjan is attempting the first circumnavigation of Lake Titicaca, explored nearly 50 years ago by Commander Cousteau’s Calypso. Follow the adventure on PlanetSolar Foundation’s social media and at www.planetsolar.org. And give a look on our interactive map ! .
