The first engineless glider that will soar to the edge of space next summer in Argentina, as part of Airbus Perlan Mission II, has moved from San Diego to Minden. Next week a ceremony will be held with sponsors at a newly built hangar there, to officially kick off its flight testing phase in preparation for the aircraft’s historic world-record breaking flight in Argentina in 2016. Besides aiming to break world aviation records for highest altitude for sustained flight, the Perlan 2 will complete scientific experiments in the stratosphere never before possible. Chief pilot Jim Payne is a resident of Minden with his wife Jackie, who also volunteers on the project.