Before aviator and businessman-explorer Steve Fossett died in 2007, the Perlan I stratospheric glider’s record flight above 50,000 convinced him and his partners, NASA test pilot Einar Enevoldson and meteorologist Elizabeth Austin, that higher altitudes were certainly possible. In the next month or so, the pressurized Perlan 2 plans to make the team’s dream of a flight to at least 90,000 feet a reality, so long as Mother Nature and the aircraft’s specialized onboard equipment all cooperate. Here are a few details.
Airbus Perlan 2 Standing by for Record Flight Attempt
Key Takeaways:
- The Perlan 2 glider, sponsored by Airbus, aims to break altitude records by flying to at least 90,000 feet, building on the success of its predecessor, Perlan 1.
- The flight will launch from southern Argentina, using powerful stratospheric mountain waves created by strong winds over the Andes mountains for lift.
- An onboard high-altitude flight recorder will confirm the achieved altitude to verify the International Gliding Commission (IGC) record.
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