Flying at 90,000 feet: Perlan 2 glider to attempt world-record stratosphere flight - TomoNews

  • 8 years ago
EL CALAFATE, ARGENTINA — An Oregon-based company is on the verge of sending the first aircraft to sustained flight at 90,000 feet, higher than any other winged aircraft has flown. The flight will take place in El Calafate, Argentina.

The not-for-profit Perlan Project partnered with Airbus Group to launch Airbus Perlan Mission II in 2002 to send an aircraft far into the stratosphere in order to harvest data about Earth’s atmosphere and ozone layer.

At 90,000 feet, temperatures dip below -70 degrees celsius and air density is just two percent of sea-level air density, conditions similar to those on the surface of Mars.

The Perlan 2 is a purpose-built pressurized high-altitude glider, that it hopes can sustain a pilot in high stratospheric conditions.

The Perlan 2 uses the thrust from atmospheric mountain wind in order to stay afloat, similar to how a surfer rides an ocean wave.

Studies have found that the Polar Vortex, and the stratospheric polar night jet, existing only in winter, provide the high-speed wind in the stratosphere that power incredibly high waves, those needed to fly the Perlan 2.

The Perlan 2 is slated to soar sometime this year.