When your goal is to reach the edge of space, visiting someone who is already soaring above the tropopause is a great way to vacation! SolarStratus visited Perlan Project in El Calafate to see how we do it. We actually had 2 launches in 3 days so they got a deep dose...

On August 17, 2018 Perlan 2 made it's second tow into the stratosphere. We awoke to pounding rain from 4:30-5 am followed by snow flurries. But after that frontal passage the skies cleared as Dan Gudgel had forecast. Linda took the photo of the day at sunrise. On this...

Once the Egrett arrived and was in-processed it was time for some test tows of Perlan 2 behind the powerful tow plane. The first test flight was set up for only 11,000 feet to determine the optimum parameters. Jim and Tim got ready to test lots of new Perlan upgrades...

On Saturday August 11 the Egrett finally arrived in El Calafate to provide powerful tows for Airbus Perlan Mission II. For months Mike Malis has worked on acquiring, refurbishing, and installing a tow hook on the Egrett and getting it signed off. Then at the end of...

While we were waiting for the Egrett tow plane to arrive, it was finally time to orchestrate a dress rehearsal for a Perlan 2 wave flight from El Calafate. The max pressure test had been successful. The to-do list of preparation was almost all checked off. Systems had...

With both front and rear hatches new in 2018 for Perlan 2, we wanted to verify their strength. The pilots decided what the expected pressure differential at our highest altitude might be. Then we tested above that for a margin of safety. Our Life Support System...

In 2018 Airbus Perlan Mission II has a more ambitious plan for wave soaring in the stratosphere. New this year we have an onsite weatherman to use his knowledge and connections to assess local conditions. We have new hatches to reduce the chance of leaks in the...

In mid July 2018 Perlan Project had several meetings in Buenos Aires with supporters. Sandra Sandercock the Perlan - Argentina Liason arranged meetings last year with the aviation authorities EANA and ANAC. This year the meetings were with the Argentina Air Force,...

When you have a campaign in a remote area of Patagonia you take everything necessary with you. Knowing the actual (not forecast) winds at all altitudes is extremely helpful on the day of a wave flight. Elizabeth Tattersall led the weather balloon crew last year, so...

Assembling the unique high altitude pressurized Perlan 2 is a bit more complex than your typical glider. However the procedure is still familar to other glider folks around the world. We inspect everything very carefully since it has traveled for 8 weeks to get to El...