Newsletter April 2024

Successful first 2024 campaign

The first flight campaign of the year went without a hitch to the delight of the whole SolarStratos team who are looking forward to what will be a key year for the mission. “It feels great to be flying again,” said Jonathan Amez-Droz, SolarStratos energy systems engineer. And more so in view of the altitude record attempt, which is scheduled for the summer, in Sion. Reaching 10,000 metres and setting a record for the highest manned solar/electric aircraft in history is well within the capabilities of the aircraft and anticipation is building. All the more so in view of recent performance and the latest round of tests which were almost entirely successful.

HB-SXA: letters and numbers!

Five flights have been logged, the first of which were undertaken in winter conditions, bringing the total to 75, including one that lasted almost 90 minutes in very little sunshine. The aim of this round of test flights was to identify the best possible climbing speed using the least amount of energy. And the climb rate proved a pleasant surprise with the climbing speed turning out to be higher than calculated.

“There is every reason to be optimistic about the record”.

Considering the most recent flights, Jonathan Amez-Droz is optimistic. “We have every reason to be confident about the summer’s record attempt. Of course, a challenge like this is never a given, but the performance and all indications are positive.” And there is further good news: “Even with the new battery configuration, we were able to fly twice in one day, which demonstrates that the aircraft has retained its flexibility.” In short: we’re flying again! So, stay posted for our next round of flights in mid-April. Next time we will be aiming to fly higher than ever before in the skies above Payerne.

“An aerial view of Neuchâtel please!”

Some exchanges just happen, out of the blue, spontaneously, and they feel so good. An aerial image of Neuchâtel taken during one of the first test flights of the year and posted on Facebook caught the attention of the town hall and they posted a request by way of comment: “A photo of our town please!” No sooner said than done. The very next day, SolarStratos published a magnificent aerial photo taken from the cockpit. A gift offered with pleasure, and not just because Raphaël Domjan is from Neuchâtel! The town wrote back: “Grrrrrrreat!! We’ll share them right away!”

CSEM in the front row

SolarStratos recently welcomed the Centre Suisse d’électronique et de microtechnique (CSEM), the team’s photovoltaic partner, to Payerne, along with seventy or so guests invited to their ‘PV in motion’ workshop. The timing was perfect as the guests were able to watch our solar aircraft in flight from the Payerne Airport terrace before transferring to the SolarStratos base for a conference with mission pilot Raphaël Domjan.

Cindy and Michael, welcome on board!

The SolarStratos mission welcomed two new passengers at the beginning of the year with Michael Staehli joining as deputy flight director, supporting CEO Roland Loos, and Cindy Da Silva joining to strengthen the admin and marketing department. The whole team welcomes them!

More and more following the adventure!

The SolarStratos Instagram account has been launched and by Valentine’s Day, we had already welcomed 10,000 followers! It is a nice juxtaposition: this summer we will have at least 10,000 Instagrammers following our record attempt to fly at 10,000 m in an electric and solar-powered aircraft. If we include those that follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, online at www.solarstratos.com, and through our newsletters, then we have a nice little crowd of 50,000 supporters who have embarked on our mission for sustainability and to decarbonise society.

As we reach the end of the month, HB-SXA is ready for take-off for the preparatory flight campaign ahead of this summer’s 10,000 m challenge. We are just waiting for the weather, so stay tuned!

510 GW of renewable energy: electrifying!

Pilot and SolarStratos mission founder, Raphaël Domjan, was quick to share the breaking news at the beginning of February: “By 2023, 510 GW of new renewable energy production facilities were installed globally. That’s the equivalent output of around 100 nuclear power stations. In 2024, we should reach 750 GW of new renewable installations across the planet. We are on our way to decarbonising our civilisation. And at this rate, by 2050, over 60% of the energy consumed in the world will be solar generated.”

And SolarStratos is proving that flying will remain a possible and sustainable dream.

10,000 m: a challenge that requires oxygen

To reach the stratosphere, and this summer for the 10,000m altitude record attempt, our pilot will need to be equipped with an oxygen system. The equipment that Raphaël Domjan will be wearing has been developed in partnership with Julien Martinez from LD Switzerland helmets. It was tested in mid-February and has been given the all-clear for use. Breath-taking!

Special record: special badge

The last mission badge that the SolarStratos team wore was for the Paris Air Show expedition last June. As we kick off 2024, we are adorned with a new badge that will guide all our actions towards this summer’s goal: Mission 10,000 metres. We look forward to sharing this chapter of our adventure with you.

With the climate emergency so acute that people are tempted to put their head in the sand, SolarStratos is approaching 2024 more determined than ever. Our mission this year is to set a record for the highest electric solar-powered flight in history. Everything is in place, both from a technological and administrative point of view, and with our permit to fly (PTF) secured, the whole team is looking forward to taking off again. Stay tuned, we are excited to share some new and memorable moments with you as the year unfolds. Welcome aboard for the next flight!

The Copernicus report is chilling

Copernicus confirmed on the 8 January that 2023 was the hottest year on record. ‘For at least 100,000 years’ according to the Observatory. The report also signalled a global temperature of 1.48°C more than average putting our world on the brink of the maximum + 1.5°C threshold envisaged in the Paris agreement. The ocean is suffering from record temperatures. And the highest concentration of greenhouse gases was recorded in the atmosphere. These are all chilling facts that make the SolarStratos mission all the more compelling. Living and flying on solar power means that people can embrace a sustainable low-carbon future today. Let’s act.

The full Copernicus report.

Press review 2023: We make solar energy shine

Beyond the challenge of flying to the stratosphere, SolarStratos aims to be a communications platform to raise awareness and promote solar energy. Our 2023 press review shows that the adventure is having an impact. By sharing the successes, records, and pitfalls, we are spreading our sustainability message far and wide. Through five press releases, 12 newsletters, hundreds of social media posts with a reach of up to 250,000 people, plus several dozen videos (347,000 views for the 2023 highlights on Facebook) and reels achieving up to 4.2 million views (16.5 million for 7 short reels), plus thousands of likes and comments of encouragement – we can continue to dream! Thank you for following us, thank you to our partners and sponsors for making this adventure possible, and to the world’s media for working with us to spread the word about a possible, sustainable future.

Completing the team

SolarStratos gathers around its founder Raphaël Domjan and its CEO Roland Loos a whole range of talented team members with skills that span technology, logistics, administration, events, communications, filmmaking, and more. At the dawn of a new year that promises plenty of action, we are recruiting to better face the challenges ahead, and we very much look forward to introducing you to our new team members.

 

2023 was an eventful year for SolarStratos – the solar electric aircraft spread the word about the potential for solar energy far and wide. Some of the highlights include Alyssa Carson’s visit, EBACE in Geneva where the mission was present with the 3 axis flight simulator, and the pioneer’s evening at the Paris Air Show. Not forgetting Prince Albert II of Monaco’s visit to Payerne after the summer break for another electric flight with Raphaël Domjan! HB-SXA has been further optimised this year (specifically the batteries and propellor) and is ready for take-off in 2024 to set the altitude record for a manned solar electric aircraft. We can’t wait! But for now, the whole team would like to wish you Happy Holidays!

Our 2023 highlights video is here!

The festive season is also a time for taking stock. And for SolarStratos that comes in the shape of a highlights video. Written by Stéphane Chopard – the filmmaker that is documenting this crazy adventure – the ‘2023 highlights’ is ready for you. You’ll see, it has been an exciting year for SolarStratos – the mission has dramatically demonstrated just how much solar energy can contribute to the transition to a low-carbon world.

And the title of best influencer goes to…
Alyssa Carson!

You’ll remember that she visited us at our home base in Payerne at the beginning of 2023. She tried the new flight simulator and flew in the electric plane over Swiss countryside blanketed in snow. Well… Alyssa Carson has just won ‘best science influencer in the USA’! The whole SolarStratos team congratulates @nasablueberry for this wonderful recognition of her commitment. Relive her visit to Switzerland here.

With our best wishes!

Roland Loos, Raphaël Domjan and the whole SolarStratos mission team would like to thank you for being part of and for following this incredible solar adventure. Thanks also to all our sponsors, partners and supporters who make this project possible. All our team wish you a Merry Christmas and a New Year filled with positive energy – solar energy! We look forward to reconnecting in January – it’s going to be a great year!

The sun is still shining brightly – a fact that warms the hearts of those – including the SolarStratos mission – who advocate for the intensive use of solar energy to ensure a low-carbon future for the planet. This need for change is heavily underlined by the new 2023 temperature records. The coming year will be crucial for the SolarStratos project. Achieving an altitude record for a manned solar-electric aircraft with HB-SXA is not only the final step before stratospheric flight, but it will send out a symbolic message that yes, we can continue to dream. To fly. Ever higher. And above all, without harming the planet.

Records that are cause for alarm

In Switzerland, September 2023 was the hottest since measurements began in 1864. June, July and August were the hottest months on earth. Temperatures in Switzerland in October also exceeded the average by 3.1°C, less extreme, but still notable – the average was 9.8°C compared to 10.4°C in October 2022. These results have propelled the planet to the top of the IPCC’s forecast range and the 1.5°C maximum warming limit set by the Paris Agreement is about to be exceeded. It’s time to go solar. Resolutely and urgently.

Senegalese sun

Roland Loos and Raphaël Domjan, respectively SolarStratos CEO and pilot-founder, have been active on other fronts. In November, they returned to Senegal on behalf of the PlanetSolar Foundation to check the Saint Louis solar power plant that opened in 2019 and – alongside the local authorities – to inaugurate the CIFOP vocational training centre for solar installers, a vocational school in Mboro. This mission was organised by Roland Loos – who is very committed to Senegal – in partnership with Jean-François Affolter. Bravo Messieurs.

 

Monegasque sun

Solar energy is not only our future, but the future of aviation. This was the message that Raphaël Domjan conveyed in Monaco this month at the World Connect by APG event. Monaco Matin and Nice Matin marked the occasion with comprehensive coverage of the ambitious PlanetSolar mission and Prince Albert II of Monaco’s support for the project, including the sovereign’s visit to us last September. Positive, energising feedback!

 

A shop that will make you shine!

Would you like to support us and help the widespread use of solar energy? Christmas is just around the corner and if you would like to shine with us and to make your loved ones shine, don’t hesitate to go online and order your festive gifts! From Swiss army knives to microdown jackets, caps and pens – there is something for everyone. Children’s clothes too – they are after all the future of humanity!

https://www.solarstratos.importexa.com/

 

To track the HB-SXA flights as closely as possible

As you know, on the www.solarstratos.com website, you can experience every moment of HB-SXA’s flights online via the virtual cockpit. Some seventy to date! The latest enhancement to our solar-electric aircraft involves telemetry. The new, more precise system will also enable us to stream not just one, but two of the Go-Pro cameras on board!

“From now on, we’ll be using UHF waves rather than 4G giving us much greater range, estimated up to 20km,” explained Jonathan Amez-Droz, an embedded systems engineer trained at HEIG-Vaud in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, with whom the system was developed.

A new antenna will be fitted to the underside of the aircraft, along with new electronics to manage communications. The whole team is looking forward to testing these new features on their next flight!

Click here for the virtual cockpit: www.solarstratos.com/livecockpit/

A SOL-AIR evening with highflyers

Our SOL-AIR event on Friday 6 October at the base in Payerne brought together a group of pioneering minds for a discussion on environmental challenges. Invited by Raphaël Domjan, Professor Christophe Baillif, Director of the Sustainable Energy Centre at CSEM, presented the latest innovative solutions to our partners, friends, explorers and committed politicians. His exceptional contribution impressed the high-profile audience, including politicians committed to a sustainable future, such as François Pointet and Jacqueline de Quattro. Jacqueline de Quattro was incidentally re-elected in the federal elections on 22 October: Bravo!

“An ode to exploration, innovation and collaboration”

There are evenings when the stars and the sun align to radiate innovation and the spirit of adventure and one such took place on Tuesday 3 October, when our partner Marti Arc Jura SA, its customers, partners, friends, and employees joined us in Payerne for a celebration. The exceptional event was led by company director Thierry Linder and Raphaël Domjan, whose presentation showed how to push back the boundaries of what is possible. The words of Marti Arc Jura SA on LinkedIn (https://urlz.fr/o8mf) spoke straight to our hearts: “This evening will remain engraved in our memories as an ode to exploration, innovation and collaboration”.

Thank you!

Looking for gift ideas? Check out our shop and the SolarStratos Club!

Are you looking for an original gift for loved ones, your family or even your colleagues?

Here are two options that will also support our stratospheric challenge:

1. Online shop: you can buy a SolarStratos pilot puffer jacket, solar accessories, and other items. There is also the book ‘Pionniers et aventuriers de l’énergie solaire’ (‘Solar Energy Pioneers and Adventurers’) by Raphaëlle Javet and Raphaël Domjan which is well worth a read!

2. The SolarStratos Club: treat yourself or your loved ones to the SolarStratos Club. Membership gives you access to special content and events, as well as the SolarStratos pilot jacket with mission badges and even customised with your name depending on the category you choose! Are you an aviation enthusiast, a lover of the environment or just curious? Join us on our adventure towards a solar-powered future!

👉 Visit our online shop
👉 Join our SolarStratos Club

Thank you, Your Highness!

It’s not every day that we have the honour of welcoming a prince! On Monday 4 September, SolarStratos hosted H.S.H Prince Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco at the team base in Payerne, alongside a number of guests that included Vaud Minister Isabelle Moret, Neuchâtel Councillor of State Céline Vara and National Councillor Francois Pointet. Media coverage of the visit highlighted the Sovereign Prince’s commitment to a more responsible planet through the Albert II of Monaco Foundation. The Monegasque sovereign’s commitment and support made the visit all the more inspiring – it was a rare and moving moment for the entire SolarStratos team. Thank you, Your Highness! And now SolarStratos will reset its sights on the upcoming flights and the next major challenge of flying at 10,000 metres.

A simulator flight… and for real!

Presented with a SolarStratos mission jacket bearing his name on arrival, Prince Albert II explored HB-SXA, before trying his hand at the three-axis flight simulator accompanied by Raphaël Domjan. The prince had previously flown with Raphaël in Monaco on 14 September 2021 when he became the first head of state to fly electric. He subsequently received the relevant diploma from the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI). During a second electric-powered flight, H.S.H flew across Lake Neuchâtel, even taking control of the plane for a moment.

CSEM: a royal visit to the centre of excellence

The Sovereign Prince’s stay naturally included an official meeting with the Neuchâtel authorities, plus a visit to the Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), a centre of excellence in photovoltaic cells and partner of Solarstratos. H.S.H. Prince Albert discovered the latest innovations and efficiency records, and Professor Christophe Baillif presented him with a personalised solar cell!

 

Heading for Lake Titicaca with PlanetSolar II

Invited by PlanetSolar Foundation, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco visited us alongside the Peruvian Ambassador, Mr Luis Alberto Castro Joo, to learn more about the PlanetSolar II expedition. An Aquabus T 850 – a 12-seater water taxi – is due to be transported to Lake Titicaca in Peru, the highest navigable lake in the world at 4,000 metres. PlanetSolar II will showcase solar-powered navigation against the backdrop of a fragile ecosystem, where altitude reduces the efficiency of internal combustion engines. The project fits with the objectives of the Albert II of Monaco Foundation which supports initiatives that improve the protection of our environment. Welcome aboard the PlanetSolar II project, Monsignor!

 

Next up: 10,000 metres

Autumn is upon us, but the year is not over for HB-SXA. Weather permitting, there will be further flights before winter to test the modifications made over the summer, in particular the new battery configuration. “The aim is to be ready for the mission’s next objective in spring 2024,” said Roland Loos, mission CEO. The next objective is well known: SolarStratos aims to fly at 10,000 metres, the highest altitude ever reached by a manned electric and solar-powered aircraft.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This summer of 2023 confirms it if confirmation were needed. By overexploiting fossil fuels, when solar energy is available on a (photovoltaic) panel, humanity is creating a pressure cooker that is driving up temperatures. With all the disruption this rapid warming is causing. With every piece of glacier that disappears, every flood, every windstorm that wreaks havoc, every piece of land that becomes desert, the SolarStratos mission takes on even more meaning. Demonstrating, with the enthusiasm of adventure and with the passion of a pioneering spirit, that the challenge of flying to the stratosphere in an electric and solar-powered aircraft is possible, allows us to dream in spite of everything. Our message is as clear as it is solar: to live our dreams in the future, we need to save our future now.

Un été canisolaire à records

The statistics promise to reach new records in 2023 for sunshine. This summer has seen some alarming firsts. On the night of 20 to 21 August, the zero-degree isotherm reached an altitude of 5,298 metres! It only took a year for the previous historic peak of 5,184 metres on 25 July 2022 to be exceeded. As for the heat dome, it sent the ground thermometer into a frenzy: 39.3°C in Geneva, over 41°C in Lyon. And almost 44°C in the Ardèche. Ah, if only mankind could tap into this inexhaustible source of energy…

Géo : Raphaël Domjan
parmi ses explorateurs

“Today’s explorers have swapped the desire to surpass themselves for a quest for meaning. And they see their expeditions only in terms of commitment”. In its latest special issue, GÉO Magazine chose Raphaël Domjan as one of its selection of explorers of this new type, who “became an expert in renewable energies and solar energy because he wanted to fight climate change”. Thank you to GÉO for relaying this message. And thank you to all the explorers who are shouting out that the planet must be allowed to keep on dreaming!

Exhilarating, but also moving and powerful! Taking part in the 54th International Paris Air Show last week in Le Bourget will go down as an important moment in the SolarStratos adventure.

Having Europe and Switzerland’s electric and solar-powered aircraft present at the most important aeronautical event in the world showcased the SolarStratos mission and conveyed its message to the giants of aviation.

A grain of sand to show this gigantic economy (India for example signed a contract for 500 Airbus!) the immense potential of electric power for a low-carbon future for aviation and the planet.

In addition to President Emmanuel Macron of France and 3,000 journalists, the International Paris Air Show attracted 400,000 visitors! Here are some of the highlights experienced by the SolarStratos team and its partners – Longines, Présence Suisse, the Canton of Neuchâtel, InnoVaud, and CSEM – in the 600 m² tent on the tarmac at Le Bourget.

Pioneers’ Evening:
back to the future

Being a pioneer today goes hand in hand with great respect for those of yesteryear. Our Pioneers’ Evening at the SolarStratos stand attracted a prestigious group, including extreme sportswoman Géraldine Fasnacht, explorer Bertrand Picard, solar navigator and pilot Raphaël Dinelli, astronaut Jean-François Clervoy, pilot Gérard Thevenot, navigator and mountaineer Eric Loizeau, and pilots Jean-Baptiste Loiselets, André Borschberg and Hervé de Saint Exupéry. Thank you to all those who honoured us with your presence.

Thank you, Mr “How Does It Work?”!

He arrived with a spring in his step, barely out of breath, ahead of his young cameraman. Welcoming Michel Chevalet, visiting the SolarStratos stand as a reporter for the Canal + channels, is no small thing. At 83, the French science journalist who inspired generations of television viewers with his legendary question “How does it work?” remains as passionate as ever about his subject. SolarStratos – or “solar albatross” as he calls it – excites him, and he salutes Raphaël Domjan’s passion. “Going up there, where you can see the stars and the shape of Earth below you, I did it with Concorde back in the day,” he said. “To do it with solar energy is edifying.”

At the end of the interview, the two enthusiasts thanked one other. And then they hugged. A symbolic moment that sent shivers down the spine of more than one onlooker!

A new lease of life in our media impact

Even before take-off from Le Bourget, France 2 set the world alight with magnificent images of HB-SXA in flight, filmed at Payerne. On the opening day, RTS broadcast a report in its 19:30 programme. Alain Rebetez wrote a hard-hitting full-page article in 24 Heures. Plus, we had coverage on France Inter, Europe 1, etc. At times, the SolarStratos stand felt like a press centre!

Raphaël Domjan, who is very committed to the objective of sharing the mission with the younger generation, was delighted with the coverage – two six-page special issues – published by the children’s magazines L’Actu and Mon Quotidien. A nice boost in media impact!

HB-SXA simulator:
the dream lives on!

It is instantly recognisable. Our three-axis flight simulator, with its triple screen arrangement, is always eye-catching. And it was the envy of young and old, even among the panoply of exhibits and experiences on offer at the Paris Air Show. Sadly not everyone had the opportunity to take the controls and fly over Le Bourget during the two daily sessions on offer, but the dream lives on!

Thank you, Le Bourget!

The gigantic scale of this world aviation showcase, its ultra-secure entrances and the constant stream of professionals and visitors, did not rule out some fun and friendly moments. Even on the social networks! The Show’s communications team relayed a picture of the SolarStratos team jumping with joy on the opening morning. We thanked Le Bourget and they thanked us back!

Don’t miss the SolarSratos aftermovie at Le Bourget, here: https://vu.fr/SXCS