Restored archive. The original History Commons is no longer online; this is a read-only edition of its timelines. Content is licensed CC BY-NC-SA.

History Commons Archive

Restored archive of the open-content investigative journalism project

2001: NASA Solar-Powered Aircraft Sets Altitude Record

The Helios, NASA’s solar-powered aircraft, sets an altitude record for non-rocket powered aircraft at almost 97,000 feet, or 18 miles in the air. The Helios flies mostly in Hawaii. [US Department of Energy, 2002 pdf file ]