Raphaël Domjan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raphaël Domjan
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Raphaël Domjan in 2012
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Raphaël Domjan
19 January 1972 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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| Citizenship | Swiss |
| Occupation | EcoExplorer and speaker |
| Honours | Solar Swiss Prize 2012
Europeen Solar Prize 2013 Knight of Saint-Charles 2022 Holder Guinness World Record |
Raphaël Domjan (born 19 January 1972) is a Swiss explorer and speaker. He is famous for his amazing adventures using only solar energy.
Raphaël completed the first round-the-world trip using solar power. This journey happened between September 2010 and May 2012. He traveled on a special boat called the MS catamaran PlanetSolar.
In 2015, he made history again. He completed the first solar navigation in the Arctic Ocean. This was a trip to the cold polar regions using only the sun's energy.
He is also the founder and pilot of the SolarStratos project. This project aims to fly the first solar plane into the stratosphere. The stratosphere is a very high part of Earth's atmosphere.
In August 2020, Raphaël made another incredible achievement. He performed the first jump from an electric plane. This was also the first solar free fall in history. Raphaël Domjan is a pilot, mountaineer, diver, and parachutist. He is a member of the Explorer Club of New York and the Société des Explorateurs Français.
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Raphaël Domjan's Life and Adventures
Raphaël Domjan was born on January 19, 1972, in Neuchâtel, Switzerland. He grew up in Lausanne. In 2001, he helped start a company called Horus Networks Sàrl. This company created the world's first solar web server.
Starting Solar-Powered Journeys
In 2005, Raphaël began his dream of a solar-powered trip around the world. He created PlanetSolar SA and then the PlanetSolar Foundation in 2007. The special solar catamaran boat was built in Germany. Its construction took place between 2008 and 2010. A German businessman named Immo Stroeher helped pay for it.
In 2007, Raphaël traveled between Martinique and Dominica. He was part of an expedition on the Sun 21. This was the first solar boat to cross the Atlantic Ocean. During this trip, he likely made the first dive from a solar boat ever. He also traveled across the United States from north to south. He rode with Louis Palmer in the SolarTaxi, a solar and electric car.
First Solar Trip Around the World
Between 2010 and 2012, Raphaël led the first solar-powered trip around the world. He was the leader of the expedition aboard the PlanetSolar boat.
Since 2012, Raphaël has been a speaker. He shares his experiences from the world tour. He explains why he felt it was important to go on such an adventure.
Reaching for the Stratosphere
In 2014, Raphaël gathered a team from different countries. They launched the SolarStratos mission. The goal was to reach the stratosphere using a piloted solar plane. This record flight was planned for 2023.
In 2015, Raphaël tried to cross the Northwest Passage in a solar-powered kayak. He was with sailor Anne Quemere. Unfortunately, the weather was very bad. They had to turn back after 300 kilometers. Even so, this trip was the first solar polar navigation in history.
Historic Jumps and Flights
On August 25, 2020, Raphaël made a historic jump. He jumped out of the SolarStratos HB-SXA solar plane in Payerne, Switzerland. The test pilot Miguel Iturmendi was flying the plane. This was the first jump from an electric plane. It was also the first free fall in solar history. Raphaël fell several hundred meters and reached a speed of 150 kilometers per hour.
In 2021, he became the first pilot to fly an electric plane with a head of state. On September 14, 2021, they took off from Nice airport in France. They flew a Pipistrel Velis128 plane. H.S.H. Albert II, Prince of Monaco was on board. They flew over the Principality of Monaco for 30 minutes. The plane reached a maximum height of 900 feet.
On June 18, 2022, Raphaël flew the HB-SXA solar plane from Sion airport in Switzerland. The adventurer Géraldine Fasnacht was with him. She jumped from SolarStratos at over 9,000 feet above the Swiss Alps. She completed the first wingsuit flight from an electric and solar plane. She landed in the village of Verbier in Switzerland.
PlanetSolar: The Solar Boat
The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is the biggest solar boat ever built. It was also the first to sail around the world using only solar energy.
First World Tour by Solar Power
The PlanetSolar boat and its crew left Monaco on September 27, 2010. They followed a path close to the Equator. The boat traveled through the Atlantic Ocean, the Panama Canal, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Suez Canal, and the Mediterranean Sea. It returned to Monaco on May 4, 2012. The journey took 585 days and covered 60,006 kilometers.
The PlanetSolar Crew
Raphaël Domjan was the leader of the PlanetSolar expedition. Patrick Marchesseau was the captain from Monaco to Nouméa. Erwann le Rouzic took over as captain from Nouméa until the boat returned to Monaco. Other crew members included Jens Langwasser, a boatman, and Christian Oschenbein, an electrical engineer.
Amazing Achievements and Records
During its trip, PlanetSolar achieved many "firsts." It was the first solar-powered trip around the world. It was also the first time a solar boat traveled around the world. It made the first crossings of the Indian Ocean and Red Sea using solar energy.
PlanetSolar also holds records. It is the largest solar boat in the world. It is also the solar vehicle that has traveled the longest distance, covering 60,023 kilometers.
Special Stamps
After the first solar boat world trip, La Poste Monaco created a special postage stamp. The stamp showed the PlanetSolar adventure in Monaco. It had a value of 77 centimes Euros.
SolarStratos: The Solar Plane Project
SolarStratos is a project that officially started in March 2014. Raphaël Domjan leads this project. It involves a two-seater solar plane built by Calin Gologan. Raphaël and his team plan to set an altitude record. The SolarStratos mission aims for Raphaël Domjan to reach the stratosphere. This is more than 18,000 meters high.
The SolarStratos project wants to show something important. It aims to prove that renewable energy can do amazing things. It can even go beyond what is possible with regular fuel. The SolarStratos aircraft was shown to the public on December 7, 2016. After the record flight, Raphaël and the SolarStratos team hope to use their technology for other things. They want to develop solar drones that can fly in the stratosphere.
More About Raphaël Domjan
- Learn more on the official Raphaël Domjan website
- Discover the SolarStratos project
- Find out about the PlanetSolar foundation
Films About His Adventures
- À la poursuite du soleil (2012) - This is a 52-minute documentary. It was directed by Olivier Vittel and made by the PlanetSolar Foundation.
- SolarStratos « la naissance d’un rêve » (2021) – This 52-minute documentary was directed by Stéphane Chopard and Eric Beaufils. It was produced by Gédéon.
Images for kids
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Raphaël Domjan in 2012
