A Busy Week for SolarStratos as It Takes to the Skies Again and Confirms Its Unique Status as a Solar-Powered Two-Seater Aircraft
A Busy Week for SolarStratos as It Takes to the Skies Again and Confirms Its Unique Status as a Solar-Powered Two-Seater AircraftSolarStratos completed its first two-seater flight of the season yesterday. This return to the controls not only marks the beginning of its second flight campaign but also reaffirms its singular status: to date, SolarStratos remains the only manned solar-powered two-seater aircraft in history.
An Energy Validation Flight
Beyond its symbolic significance, this flight had a precise technical goal: validating the consistency between theoretical energy consumption and actual consumption. The flight plan called for reducing battery autonomy to 10%. “We ultimately landed with 20%, under perfectly controlled conditions,” the team reported. The technical teams are now comparing the theoretically consumed energy with the energy required to recharge the batteries—a crucial check to ensure that the onboard systems are displaying the correct values.
Today’s Agenda: Starlink Telemetry Test
The season promises to be busy. Today, a new flight will be dedicated to testing connected telemetry via Starlink. Initial ground tests yielded excellent results. Now, it’s time to validate these tests in flight by switching between the 5G network and the Starlink satellite link, and vice versa. This is a key step to ensure continuous connectivity during future high-altitude flights.
Thursday: Speed Record Attempt
Tomorrow, another milestone awaits: an attempt at the world speed record for a solar-powered electric aircraft. No official reference exists to date, so this will be an opportunity to set a first-ever world record in the history of manned solar aviation.
