Beyond the symbolism, this flight pursued a precise technical objective: to verify the consistency between theoretical energy consumption and actual consumption. “The idea was to drain the batteries down to 10%. We reached 20%. Now, we’re checking the energy we theoretically used against what we will recharge to confirm that our systems accurately indicate the correct consumption,”<\/em> the pilot explains.<\/p>\n The next flight validated a new embedded technological component: a telemetry system capable of switching between 5G and Starlink satellite links. “We conducted in-flight tests, and it worked really well. We wanted to see if we could switch from a 5G system to Starlink and vice versa. This is an important step for the connectivity of our future high-altitude flights,”<\/em> explains Rapha\u00ebl Domjan.<\/p>\n The highlight of the campaign was an unofficial attempt at a world speed record for an electric solar aircraft. A discipline for which no official reference exists to date, but one the team wanted to explore to measure the true potential of the aircraft.<\/p>\n Over a 3 km out-and-back course, the aircraft reached a maximum ground speed of 154.7 km\/h, which would translate to an average speed of 136.6 km\/h, to be retained in case of homologation.\u00a0“This is quite a success because the aircraft’s maximum speed is 140 km\/h. That means we got very close to this maximum speed without ever exceeding it. We aimed for 130 km\/h and achieved 136.6 km\/h: that’s really good,”<\/em> rejoices Rapha\u00ebl Domjan.<\/p>\n The pilot tempers the enthusiasm, however:\u00a0“It was turbulent. We’ll need to repeat the test earlier in the morning when the air is calmer. But it’s great news. I really hope to beat this record in the next campaign.”<\/em><\/p>\n Before stowing the aircraft away, the team conducted a complete weighing of the aircraft without the batteries. A valuable data point to refine energy calculations and prepare for future technical evolutions. “We’ve closed this flight campaign. We did a weighing to find out exactly what the aircraft’s weight was without the batteries. It was a good second flight campaign.”<\/em><\/p>\n SolarStratos will now take a break for a few months. The next flights are scheduled for September, with a clear objective: to beat this speed record. A new sequence to follow closely.<\/p>\n The second flight campaign of the 2026 season concluded late last week at the Payerne runway. Over the course of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11611,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,71],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11623","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-newsletters-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.solarstratos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/WhatsApp-Image-2026-05-20-at-17.45.09-1024x768.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nStarlink Telemetry: A Successful Test in Flight Conditions<\/h3>\n
First Attempt at a Speed Record: 136.6 km\/h Average<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.solarstratos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/solarstratos_campagnevols_avril26_paul_bessereau_optimist431.jpg-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nWeighing and Closing the Campaign<\/h3>\n
Onward to September<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.solarstratos.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/solarstratos_campagnevols_avril26_paul_bessereau_optimist314.jpg-1024x683.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"