Solar power to be used for space tourism

The Switzerland-based company SolarStratos has announced its plans to build an aircraft powered by solar energy to take tourists into the stratosphere.

The 28 foot-long plane project aims to fully power the aircraft with solar energy, in order to offer its passengers a memorable stratosphere experience. Space tourists will be able to enjoy the stars at a 15 miles height above the earth in a trip that will last for a total of five hours. 

“This opens the door to the possibility of electric and solar commercial aviation, close to space,” declared Raphael Domjan, the team leader of the Swiss project.

Dennis Muilenburg, the CEO of Boeing, added that the fascinating space tourism sector will be “blossoming over the next couple of decades into a viable commercial market".

As similarly SpaceX innovative program is currently developing at a fast pace, space travel is considered to become very popular in the years to come, at considerably lower costs when compared to present times. According to Elon Musk’s estimations, when people will start traveling to Mars, the ticket price for one passenger will not exceed $100,000.

The inaugural flight of SolarStratos solar-powered aircraft is expected as soon as three years from now and the costs for each journey will be as high as $10 million.