SolarStratos, a feather-light 450 kilogram (990 pound), solar-powered airplane, lifted off for the first time on May 5 in Payerne, Switzerland. Considering its 24.9 meter (81.69 feet) wingspan, the airplane shows designer Calin Gologan’s ability to squeeze performance from every gram of structure. It flies nicely, too, with test pilot Damian Hischier enthusing, “The plane is very nice to [fly]. [Its] reactions are healthy, and we see that it was well designed.” Sharing Payerne Airport with Solar Impulse, SolarStratos represents a different kind of adventure, ready to make five-hour flights to 75,000 feet (two hours up, five hours down). Such flights can carry a pilot and scientific measuring equipment, or for those lucky enough to have the price of admission, a passenger. Passengers on this high stratospheric journey will need to wear a pressure suit, and undoubtedly undergo hours of training on how to behave at such altitudes. The Pulse reports, “Until now, reaching the stratosphere has required large quantities …
