"Our goal is to demonstrate that current technology offers us the possibility to achieve above and beyond what fossil fuels offer," says project founder and pilot Raphaël Domjan in a press release. "Electric and solar vehicles are amongst the major challenges of the 21st century. Our aircraft can fly at an altitude of 25,000 m and this opens the door to the possibility of electric and solar commercial aviation, close to space."

The solar-electric plane is said to have an environmental footprint that is equivalent to that of an electric car and is aimed at offering an alternative to using large quantities of energy or helium as a means of reaching the stratosphere. It is 8.5-m (27.9-ft) long, has a wingspan of 24.8 m (81.4 ft) and weighs in at just 450 kg (992 lb).

The solar panel array charges a 20 kWh lithium-ion battery, which powers a 32-kW electric motor that in turn drives a 2.2-m (7.2-ft) propeller. SolarStratos says it is able to fly continuously for over 24 hours, which is more than enough to cover the expected two-and-a-half hours it will take to reach space, 15 minutes cruising at peak altitude and three hours to return to the Earth.