UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT UAVOLT

ADVANCED SOLUTIONS IN AERONAUTICS

Innovation and technology for the aerospace sector

ADVANCED SOLUTIONS IN AERONAUTICS

Innovation and technology for the aerospace sector

The Evolution of Solar Aviation

The dream of flying with nothing but the power of the sun began more than four decades ago.

🔹 1979 – Gossamer Penguin
The world’s first solar-powered aircraft, the Gossamer Penguin, took to the skies in California. Though modest in size, it marked the birth of solar aviation.

🔹 1981 – Solar Challenger
Just two years later, its successor, the Solar Challenger, crossed the English Channel, proving solar flight could achieve long-distance journeys.

🔹 1999 / 2001 – NASA Helios
The unmanned NASA Helios prototype set a record that still stands today: reaching 96,863 feet (29,524 m), higher than any subsonic aircraft in history. It was the first true autonomous High-Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) solar platform, paving the way for near-space applications.

🔹 2009–2016 – Solar Impulse I & II
In 2009, Solar Impulse I achieved the first night flight powered only by solar energy. Its successor, Solar Impulse II, went further: completing the first solar-powered circumnavigation of the globe in 2015–2016, demonstrating the potential of renewable aviation on a worldwide stage.

🔹 2025 – Airbus Zephyr S
The ultra-light Airbus Zephyr S set new endurance benchmarks for unmanned flight. In 2025, it stayed aloft for 67 days and 6 hours, a world record for continuous flight, showcasing the promise of solar UAVs for communications and surveillance.

🔹 2025 – SolarStratos
Most recently, Swiss pilot Raphaël Domjan flew the SolarStratos HB-SXA into the stratosphere, reaching 9,521 meters (31,237 feet)—a new manned altitude record for a solar-electric aircraft. This flight, pending FAI certification, demonstrates that clean aviation can push into the edge of space.

ADVANCED SOLUTIONS IN AERONAUTICS

ADVANCED SOLUTIONS IN AERONAUTICS

About UAVOLT

Our Mission

The Evolution of Solar Aviation

The Evolution of Solar Aviation

Exploring the skies: our aerial gallery

We are looking for researchers!

JOIN OUR TEAM

APPLY NOW

ADVANCED SOLUTIONS IN AERONAUTICS

ADVANCED SOLUTIONS IN AERONAUTICS

About UAVOLT

Our Mission

The Evolution of Solar Aviation

The Evolution of Solar Aviation

Exploring the skies: our aerial gallery

We are looking for researchers!

JOIN OUR TEAM

APPLY NOW

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