SolarStratos, a manned two-person aerial vehicle, may not be able to circumnavigate the globe on a single charge, but it is a 100% solar-powered aircraft. It currently holds the record for being the first solar-powered airplane to reach a height of 25,000 meters, with power stored on an Austrian-made 20 kWh battery, while the solar panels are sourced from California-based SunPower. When you reach the edge of space, a specially designed pressurized spacesuit, made by Russian company Zvezda, protects its passenger(s). Continue reading for more pictures, another video and additional information.
“SolarStratos’s founder Raphael Domjan hopes to develop a technology that can battle climate change and champion solar power over high octane fuel. Once the technology is proven to work, the company aims to build a 3-manned vehicle too that will include a pressurized cabin and will operate commercial space tourism flights as soon as 2021,” reports Yanko Design.
