In the early 1990s, NASA test pilot Einar Enevoldson set out to prove that gliders could catch mountain waves and soar to extreme altitudes. With the Perlan Mission, Enevoldson set out with a very ambitious goal: to soar into the stratosphere – the atmospheric layer between the troposphere and the mesosphere. On August 30, 2006, Enevoldson together with record-setter Steve Fossett, flew the Perlan I beyond 50,000 feet, breaking the altitude record for gliders at that time.
Perlan 2 Glider Soars Beyond 76,000 Feet
Key Takeaways:
- The Perlan Mission, initiated by Einar Enevoldson, aims to push glider altitude records using mountain waves, with the Perlan I breaking the 50,000-foot mark in 2006.
- The Perlan 2 glider recently achieved a new world record, soaring to an astonishing 76,124 feet in El Calafate, Argentina, exceeding the highest altitude recorded by a U2 spy plane.
- This record-breaking flight was the third for the Perlan 2 in less than a week, showcasing its advanced pressurized carbon fiber design and specialized life support systems for stratospheric flight.
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