Как поживаетеi 1 ? We hope you had a good Easter weekend and you enjoy the beginning of Spring, marking the renewal of life. Regarding SolarStratos, days are passing and are not alike. This has happened things during this March!
The most exciting moment was our trip to Moscow with Michael Lopez-Alegria, our flight director, Thierry Plojoux and Roland Loss, two new members of our team. I was able to test there the spacesuit and already project a little bit in the stratosphere. Thanks to Zvezda for their trust and their hospitality! This trip is an important step in the history of SolarStratos.
1 «How are you doing», in russian
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A few weeks ago, with our partner the Swiss Centre for Electronics and Microtechnology (CSEM), we visited our other partner, PC-Aero, in Munich. During this Bavarian stay, we worked on the design of the photovoltaic cells. It’s great to see two partners work together for the same purpose, around our project. Thanks to them !
Finally, we welcome aboard two new partners: the DLR (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt), the German Space Agency, and Carbon and Wacker. The agency will support us on issues related to flights at very high altitudes. As for Carbon Wacker, the company specialized in the production of carbon components becomes one of our Official Suppliers. Thanks to both of them for their support!
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See you in a month for the rest of our adventures!
Solar greetings,
Raphael and the SolarStratos Team
SolarStratos was in Moscow this week with Russian spacesuits experts at Zvezda. It was amazing to wear this impressive “space armor”. Our Flights Director, Michael Lopez Alegria, was with us too! We brought you these incredible images!
Dear Partners, Dear Friends,
Late David Bowie sang „Starman“ for the first time in 1972. 44 years later, the song continues to resonate around the world, but with particular taste and sound. The author left our world to join the stars on January 10, 2016. Barely a month later, on February 4, our dear godfather Edgar Mitchell also bowed out. “This is Major Mitchell to Ground Control, the stars look very different today.” We are sad, but also happy and honored to have been able to cross the path of this great man, this lunar walker. We wanted to start this newsletter by giving him this tribute. Thank you, Edgar, for your support, now eternal. You will always be with us, whether on land or in the stratosphere.
This news somewhat messed us, but life goes on and the adventure of SolarStratos too.
We can tell you that searches for the future hangar of the aircraft SolarStratos are going well. We look forward to soon announcing where the “home-base” of the HB-SXA will be located!
Again thank you for your support and do not hesitate to forward our news to your loved ones!
See you soon for the rest of our solar-stratospheric adventures!
Raphaël and the SolarStratos Team
Dear Partners, Dear Friends,
The year started well for SolarStratos and promises lots of news to share with you! To retain this January: our first altitude flight with an Eco-Light along with Pierrick Duvoisin from CSEM at over 7,000 meters altitude. This flight was a success to the extent that we could test the dynamic effect on the solar cells developed by our partner CSEM.
This first step will help to develop a model for calculating the evolution of the solar cell temperatures in the stratosphere. The next step is to get closer to space at more than 130,000 feet (approx. 40,000 meters) with a balloon this time! The images will definitely be amazing!
Regarding the aircraft construction, I am pleased to inform you that the fuselage is complete. The time is now to develop the wings.
Keep on following our adventures and thank you for your support!
Raphael and the SolarStratos Team
In Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote that “discretion is of prime importance to succeed in any venture.1” As 2015 draws to a close, I would like to pay tribute to this quotation and its author, as it very much sums up how we have gone about things this year. We have certainly been discreet, but by no means inactive. So here is a review of 2015…
The first solar flight
With the spring came the opportunity for our first solar flight! I went to see our friend and partner Calin Gologan from PC-Aero in Germany, where an Elektra One plane awaited me. Although the weather conditions were not ideal, I was able to start up the engine and gain altitude, powered only by the energy of our sun, which was there even though it could not be seen in the sky that day. To be honest, my feelings were rollercoasting from excitement to fear – and how delighted I was to land safe and sound! Let’s just say that I was nervous about the first solar flight, but I’m looking forward to my next round of “helioplaning”!
Construction of the SolarStratos HB-SXA aircraft
Now that I’ve mentioned PC-Aero, I might as well continue by telling you about the construction of the aircraft. As announced last year, the funds necessary to build the first SolarStratos solar plane prototype allowed work to be commenced at the beginning of the year. We hope to be able to present SolarStratos to you during the summer of 2016, and carry out our first flights before the autumn.
Simulator
In order to ensure optimum flight safety, we have acquired a SolarStratos simulator to train future pilots in flying the plane. This will make it possible to view the inside layout of the cockpit and test the systems. The simulator will also be an excellent communications resource for SolarStratos and its partners everywhere it is displayed and used.
The Moon Race
In collaboration with SwissApollo, the SolarStratos team supported the unique and historic encounter between two great living legends of the conquest of space during the “Moon Race” lecture show. Buzz Aldrin, pilot of the lunar module during the first moon landing by Apollo 11 in 1969, and Alexey Leonov, the first cosmonaut to do a spacewalk in 1965, appeared together on the same stage on November at the SwissTechCenter, at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), before an audience of some 3,000 fans and enthusiasts. It was a great privilege to be able to shake hands with such people – and welcome partners and friends of SolarStratos!
COP 21
The United Nations Conference on climate change was held in Paris from November 30 to December 12, 2015. Our project had an excellent spot in the Switzerland and Monaco pavilion in the Grand Palais, and was a great opportunity to show visitors that change is possible.
1000 likes
On September 27, we reached our first 1000 fans on Facebook. Are you among them? Have you liked our page yet? Don’t delay – click here! Next year’s target is to reach 5000 likes! Thank you in advance for helping us to grow our community!
New logo and visual identity
With the help of our new partner Vert-pomme communication, we’ve put together a new visual identity. This will be gradually implemented during the course of 2016. Stay tuned…
New partners
This newsletter would not be complete without mentioning the partners who have joined us this year. Thanks to them, we’re getting closer to achieving our goals.
A huge thank you to our first Official Partner, C.I.E.L. Société coopérative, for its unwavering support over the years; to Kindercity, for their support during COP21; to Wavestudios with their magical sounds; to Swiss Strato, and lastly to the COGENER fund, for their help in seeking to optimise the performance of our solar modules.
First employees
2015 also saw the arrival of SolarStratos’ first official employees. Jean-Marc Badan took up the position of CEO on January, followed closely by Alexis Domjan, heading up Webmastering and telemetry, on March 1. Then Victor Korewa joined the team on October 1 as communications and partner manager. And of course there’s Thierry Plojoux, our second pilot and marketing development manager for the Middle East. Welcome to them and a big thank you to everyone who’s helping us in this adventure!
StratosTime
In the December 2015 number of StratosTime, you’ll find a short video report.
2015, a year of discretion, is drawing to a close. And on the back of all these discreet developments, I and my team will be thrilled to see you again in 2016 as we continue our adventures together!
All of us here at SolarStratos wish you a happy festive season and all the best for 2016.
Thank you so much for your support; please continue to keep up with our news!
Raphaël Domjan, initiator and pilot
The Paris Climate Change Conference COP21 opens in a few days.
The SolarPlanet Foundation and the SolarStratos mission will be participating in this global event, which will hopefully lead to a treaty that is beneficial to our environment.
To support this and our projects, we will be present at the Solutions COP21 exhibition at the Grand Palais in Paris. The solar kayak will be visible on the Swiss and Monaco stand. We invite you to meet us there on Saturday 5 December between 10:00 and 12:00.
The simulator of the world’s largest solar boat as well as several films on our different adventures, including SolarStratos, will be visible in the eco-truck that will travel between Le Bourget and the Grand-Palais (more information here).
Programme :
- From 4 to 10 December, from 10:00 to 18:00 – COP21 Solutions Exhibition – Grand-Palais, Paris
Saturday 5 December, from 10:00 to 12:00 – Meeting with the SolarPlanet and SolarStratos teams
Saturday 5 December, at 16:00 – Conference by Raphaël Domjan at the Théatre-Sénart, Lieusaint-Sénart
Monday 7 December, at 8 pm – Conference by Raphaël Domjan at the Fondation Suisse / Pavillon Le Corbusier, in Paris
From Friday 11th to Sunday 13th December, solar kayak visible on the Nautiraid stand at the Paris Boat Show
