SolarStratos unveils its 2022 program to its partners

The SolarStratos team welcomed the partners of its solar adventure to present the 2022 program at Explorit, on January 24 and 31, 2022.

With the arrival of “Banque Bordier & Cie” as main sponsor, SolarStratos benefits from three «main partners»: Longines, Bitcoin Suisse SA and Bordier & Cie. Most of the other partners were also present to discover the rich program, including a promising «return to flight» at the end of March 2022 for the solar aircraft with the optimization of certain technologies.

SolarStratos warmly welcomes aboard Bordier & Cie, a leading Swiss private bank, as main sponsor for its mission ‘To the edge of space’. By teaming up with the pioneering SolarStratos expedition, Bordier & Cie is committing to protecting the planet for the future by promoting a renewable energy source as a viable alternative to fossil fuels.

Innovating for future generations

“For 177 years, we have been protecting, nurturing and passing on the assets entrusted to us. It is therefore only natural for us to commit to protecting that most precious asset of all, namely our planet, and handing it down intact to the coming generations,” says Grégoire Bordier, Managing Partner. “We are delighted to support the SolarStratos mission, which embodies this ambition. I think Antoine de Saint-Exupéry perfectly illustrated this way of thinking when he said: ‘We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children.’”

Raphaël Domjan, pilot and founder of the mission, expresses his satisfaction about Bordier’s decision to partner alongside SolarStratos: “Faced with the climate emergency, we need to boost our scope to innovate and demonstrate a pioneering spirit. The entire SolarStratos team is delighted to share their values with the Partners and employees of the Bordier group.”

Aircraft optimisation

Winter is not conducive to flying, but it does give our technical team time to fully analyse all the data gathered from the test flights throughout the year and to optimise the technology ahead of the next flight campaign.

Having added solar cells to the tail of the airplane, the technical team is focussed on developing the instrument panel to include additional flight data such as real time solar cell production, additional temperature readings and acceleration information. All this data will be transmitted by telemetry to the Mission Control Centre (MCC) on the ground.

These new elements, which will make it possible to optimise the trajectory of the aircraft and therefore to produce maximum energy, will be simultaneously available in the cockpit and at the MCC.

In other developments, we have a new propeller in construction in Germany which will be installed early next year. With variable pitch, this propellor will make the most of the engine’s power at any altitude.

“The birth of a dream” on Planète+

Our documentary, “SolarStratos, the birth of a dream”, was back on screen on Wednesday December 15 on Planète +.

Prince Albert II flies with Raphaël

Relive the first ever flight of a Head of State in an electric plane. HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco flew with our pilot, Raphaël Domjan, for approx. 30 minutes above the French Riviera, including Monaco.

Watch the highlights of this historic flight here.

Looking back at an exceptional year

It has been an eventful year with many flights and Stéphane Chopard, our TV producer embedded with the team, has been capturing all the action! He has put together some highlights for your enjoyment. Click here to watch the SolarStratos 2021 recap:

Invitation – Exceptional gala evening in Monaco 2012-2022: ten years.

It has been ten years since Raphaël Domjan and his teammates crossed the finish line in Monaco after their historic first ever solar powered circumnavigation onboard PlanetSolar.

This gala event is an opportunity for the Foundation of the same name to commemorate its historic arrival in the Principality. The gala will take place on Friday 29 April at 19:00 at the Oceanographic Museum in the presence of HSH Prince Albert II of Monaco, as well as many solar adventure explorers and pioneers.

Don’t miss out! Book your place through the following link: https://www.planetsolar.swiss/inscription-gala-2022/

Looking for a gift?/h3>

Visit our online store and treat friends and family to a stratospheric gift featuring SolarStratos.

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

Season’s Greetings and Happy New Year to everyone!

Raphaël Domjan and the whole SolarStratos team, wish you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2022!

We thought that the pandemic would be behind us as the new year approaches, but unfortunately that is not the case. We remain, however, optimistic and continue to move forward with our objective of achieving our first stratospheric flight powered by solar energy.

We are extremely honoured by your unwavering support during this complex period and would like through these few lines, to warmly thank you for continuing the adventure with us.

We look forward to seeing you again in 2022 and until then, have a great holiday season and take care of yourselves.

See you soon for new adventures!
Raphaël Domjan and the SolarStratos team

The pressurised spacesuit is tested

Our pilot, Raphaël Domjan and CEO, Roland Loos, visited our partner Zvezda in Moscow this month to continue to test the spacesuit that will be used for the SolarStratos stratospheric flight. This phase was a major challenge for Raphaël as the suit was pressurised and the test simulated a flight in stratospheric conditions lasting more than seven hours.

It was extremely demanding from a physical point of view, but hugely successful!

By the end of the seven-hour test, Raphaël emerged from the model aircraft, the altitude chamber, and the pressurised suit, exhausted but delighted with the results. Our pilot also took this opportunity to submit two watches from our partner, Longines, to stratospheric conditions.

This was an important step in the conquest of the stratosphere and bodes well for ongoing preparations.

We never stop learning

We realise that we mentioned this a few weeks ago, but please bear with us as we revisit the topic and give you an insider’s view of the successful 2021 flight campaign.

The SolarStratos team worked tirelessly to ensure that every solar plane outing was a success and in doing so, gained a great deal of experience from the numerous flights that will benefit the future development and learning in all areas.

Throughout the 2021 flight campaign, the pilots, the technical team, the communications and sponsorship team – every team member was able to familiarise themselves with the potential challenges of the SolarStratos project and to gain unparalleled insight and experience. Conquering the stratosphere aboard an experimental solar aircraft is a permanent learning process, and one that is highly motivating!

As this incredible season draws to a close, the team is ready for the next phase and is looking forward to the next flight campaign in 2022.

SolarStratos gets some TLC

During the winter months, our solar aircraft will be carefully tucked up in the warmth of the SolarStratos base, where our technical team will fine tune some technical aspects of the design, in particular the integration of photovoltaic components and improvements to the telemetry.

“Solar Energy Pioneers and Adventurers” exhibition opens

On 11 November, the PlanetSolar Foundation invited partners and eco-donors to the opening of an exhibition dedicated to solar energy pioneers and adventurers. The evening, attended by our eco-explorer Raphaël Domjan and Christian Brunier, the Director General of our partner, Services Industriels de Genève, who made the space available at the Quartier Libre SIG, was a great success and enjoyed by all.

The exhibition is open to the public until 10 April 2022. Admission is free.

For full details, please go to: https://ww2.sig-ge.ch/actualites/pionniers-de-lenergie-solaire-une-exposition-de-la-fondation-planetsolar

Christmas is on the way!

For those little end-of-year gifts, don’t forget that our online shop offers a variety of products that combine fun with a contribution to our solar mission!

https://www.solarstratos.importexa.com

Total success of the tests carried out at our partner Zvezda in Moscow on Tuesday November 2, 2021! Raphaël Domjan realized a flight simulation in an altitude chamber in a pressurized spacesuit, corresponding to the flight profile of the future flight in the stratosphere. These tests have shown that this suit is well adapted to our needs and will allow Raphaël to carry out this flight in the best possible conditions. At the same time, we were able to subject two watches from our partner Longines to these stratospheric conditions.

These tests were carried out in the same premises of Zvezda, where the human adventure of space exploration began in the 1960s. Raphaël “landed” in great shape, welcomed by our CEO Roland Loos. A big step for the SolarStratos mission in Russia!

New Main Partner

SolarStratos is delighted to welcome Bitcoin Switzerland AG as Main Partner. Bitcoin Switzerland AG is a pioneer in crypto-finance and a global market leader. Bitcoin Switzerland AG and SolarStratos share common goals: they think outside the box, they innovate, and both imagine a future that pushes the boundaries of possibility in technology and exploration. Raphaël Domjan and the SolarStratos team would like to thank Niklas Nikolajsen, founder and president of Bitcoin Switzerland AG, and his team for their confidence and look forward to continuing the adventure with them. We would also like to thank all our loyal partners for their support, for being there for us and for contributing to our conquest of the stratosphere.

SolarStratos is preparing for 2022!

The entire technical team is currently dedicated to improving SolarStratos for next year: they are fitting an anti-fog and anti-icing system and additional solar sensors, they are making improvements to the telemetry and avionics, plus they are changing the propeller. The aircraft is being optimised to achieve our 2022 objectives!

“The birth of a dream” is selected at the festival “Les Ecrans de l’aventure” in Dijon

Raphaël Domjan and the SolarStratos team were honoured to learn that the documentary “The Birth of a Dream”, directed by Stéphane Chopard, has been selected to take part in the official competition of the 30th edition of “Les Ecrans de l’aventure” Festival in Dijon.

We were delighted with the response to our film during the screening on 14 October, attended by Raphaël, and this nomination is a welcome sign of artistic recognition. Thank you to all those who supported our film and congratulations to Jordan Manoukian, for his film “Out of Fame”, which won the Golden Fleece for Adventure Film of the Year in 2021.

StratosTime: click below to relive the 2021 flight campaign!

“Pioneers of Solar Energy” exhibition

Raphaël Domjan and the PlanetSolar Foundation have the privilege to present their travelling exhibition “Pioneers and Adventurers in Solar Energy” for six months at Quartier libre SIG, on the Pont de la Machine in Geneva. The space is made available by our partner, the ‘Services Industriels de Genève’, to whom we extend our heartfelt thanks.

This exhibition will be an opportunity to revisit the history of a selection of pioneering projects through stories, unique pieces of solar vehicles and a model of PlanetSolar, the first boat to complete a circumnavigation powered by solar energy, and with our eco-explorer, Raphaël Domjan, on board.

The exhibition will open on Thursday 11 November. Admission is free.

Please go to the following website for more information: www.sig-quartierlibre.ch

SolarStratos is proud to announce a new partnership with Bitcoin Suisse who joins the eco-adventure led by pilot and eco-explorer, Raphaël Domjan, to reach the stratosphere in an aircraft powered solely by solar energy. Bitcoin Suisse, the Swiss crypto-finance pioneer and market leader, will support SolarStratos in its mission to pave the way for the future of aviation. Both SolarStratos and Bitcoin Suisse tell the story of «thinking beyond» by pushing the boundaries of what is possible in the world of technology and exploration.

Raphaël Domjan flies SolarStratos solo for the first time

After much anticipation, this crucial stage of the project became a reality on the 2nd of September when Raphaël Domjan flew SolarStratos solo for the first time.

The 30-minutes solo flight was the result of weeks of hard work by the technical team and was also in large part thanks to the experience and advice of our test pilot, Miguel A. Iturmendi. At the flight debrief, Raphaël declared himself: “Happy to have been able to fly SolarStratos alone for the first time !” And he wholeheartedly thanked the technical team and test pilot: “The weather has not spared us so far, so now we are flying as much as we can to continue with the tests. This aircraft has great potential, and we are making progress every day. Thank you to the technical team and our test pilot, who are doing an incredible job so that I can fly,” he said.

During the 2021 flight campaign, Raphaël Domjan is scheduled to fly SolarStratos solo four times.

A Partners’ evening to remember!

The Annual SolarStratos Partners’ Evening gathers loyal friends and partners at the Payerne base giving Raphaël Domjan and the team an opportunity to thank all those that support the project. And while, like 2020, this year’s event was hosted against the backdrop of a pandemic and an uncertain economic situation, our partners nevertheless remain unwavering in their support for this incredible adventure. For that we offer all our partners a huge thank you !

In a happy coincidence, the weather cooperated and Raphaël was able to perform a solo flight for the partners attending. They watched from the Payerne airport terrace before welcoming Raphaël back to terra firma and getting his impressions first-hand.

Flying at 12,000 feet !

Pilot, Raphaël Domjan and test pilot, Miguel A. Iturmendi took SolarStratos higher than any other multi-seat solar aircraft powered solely by photovoltaic solar energy has ever been ! Having notched up several flights of 10,000ft and now one of 12,000ft, this is yet another step towards conquering the stratosphere.

A successful 2021 flight campaign

The 2021 flight campaign has spanned three months and included 24 flights (43 total since the test pilot arrived in 2020) enabling the SolarStratos team to keep to the forecast schedule. The campaign has included a high number of test flights, some solo flights by Raphaël, plus some high-altitude flights and a round of spacesuit tests. Thanks to the hard work of an incredible team, the 2021 flight campaign has been a marked success.

We would like to offer our special thanks to our loyal partners, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, Swiss Aeropole, the Payerne military airfield, Skyguide, Elektrasolar and to all those who support and help us. Without you our solar adventure would not be possible.

A Head of State flies electric for the first time

On Tuesday 14th September 2021, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco became the first Head of State to fly electric when he flew on board the ElektroPostal team’s Pipistrel Velis, accompanied by Raphaël Domjan, our pilot.

Raphaël and the Monegasque monarch took off from Nice-Côte d’Azur airport for a thirty-minute flight without CO₂ emissions or noise over the Principality.

On alighting from the plane, H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco was delighted with the flight: “It is fantastic to be able to fly without emitting CO₂. The development of electric aviation must continue so that tomorrow’s commercial flights regularly incorporate this type of renewable energy.”

Raphaël Domjan, for his part, was smiling broadly: “It was a bit stressful, but this first flight by a Head of State in an electric plane sends a strong message to the leaders of the world. H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco has paved the way for the world’s Heads of State to take note of the possibilities of electric aviation. I hope that this flight will make them aware of this new mode of travel without CO₂ emissions and that other Heads of State will follow.”

First flight using the space suit!

Despite very little sunlight, SolarStratos is back in the air and flying with Raphaël Domjan at the controls of the aircraft under the close supervision of test pilot, Miguel A. Iturmendi. Between them, they have completed more than 10 test flights this year, two of which have lasted over an hour.

Raphaël wore the special space suit designed by our Russian partner, Zvezda, for the first time in flight this summer, and although the suit was not pressurised, it was a great opportunity to familiarise himself with the clothing that will protect him from extreme temperatures when he reaches the stratosphere. The trial went without a hitch!

“I am very happy to have been able to test the space suit in flight. Of course, I will need to get used to wearing it; the feeling and mobility of your arms, hands and legs is quite different, but the team always does such an incredible job of allowing us to evolve with every flight. It’s awesome!”

Raphaël supports the Swiss Solar Boat team

As godfather to the Swiss Solar Boat team, Raphaël travelled to Monaco this summer, to congratulate the EPFL and HEIG-VD collaboration for their second place at the International Monaco Solar and Energy Boat Challenge. It was a great opportunity for our eco explorer to convey the support of the PlanetSolar Foundation and to return to the principality that hosted the departure and subsequent return of the pioneering catamaran during its first solar-powered circumnavigation.

For more information, please go to the Swiss Solar Boat website: https://swisssolarboat.ch

De St-Exupéry flies electric

History is beautiful and it is being written now! For the first time, Hervé de St-Exupéry, grandnephew of Antoine, and a writer, poet, and aviator in his own right, flew onboard an electric aircraft, accompanied by Raphaël Domjan, who is a big fan of Le Petit Prince! It was a special moment for Raphaël who grew up on the stories of Antoine de St-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince and which gave him his passion for flying, ever higher and ever further.

Raphaël Domjan and SolarStratos become social media stars!

The July edition of L’Illustré featured a ‘best of Instagram’ story that published a photo from Raphaël’s Instagram account of Raphaël and Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, attending the Viva Technology Show earlier this year.

Don’t miss a moment of our extraordinary adventure, join us on social media! Even our social media platforms are solar powered, as we use the hosting site that was created by Raphaël and Alexis Domjan 20 years ago, called horus.ch!

Fly with us – LIVE!

The SolarStratos team has a Mission Control Centre located at the heart of the operational base in Payerne fitted out with a LIVE Cockpit so that the team can follow the progress of the aircraft in flight.

This LIVE Cockpit is now available to all via our website: www.solastratos.com. Please feel free to come and experience solar powered flight in real time!

A solid partnership with Marti Arc Jura!

Welcome onboard to Marti Arc Jura, who joins our solar adventure as an Official Supplier! We are delighted to have the support of this subsidiary of the Marti Group that was founded 100 years ago in Bern and whose philosophy is to maintain lasting relationships with all its service providers and its environment.

Marti Arc Jura has dared to innovate and invest in ecological techniques and technologies for many years. They built the first concrete solar plant in Switzerland, and they recover and recycle materials to provide products that are more environmentally conscious. These values unite us to meet the challenge of the transition to solar energy.

In the early morning, the project is moving forward. We are proud to announce that SolarStratos has resumed its flight and that the adventure continues! Stay tuned all summer long!