Myasishchev M-55

Twin Jet

The Myasishchev M-55 Geophysica stands as one of the most unusual high-altitude research aircraft ever built, capable of sustained flight above 70,000 feet—an operating ceiling matched by only a handful of aircraft in history. Developed in the Soviet Union during the 1980s from the earlier M-17 Stratosphera reconnaissance platform, the twin-engine jet was redesigned for civilian atmospheric research after the Cold War, with its distinctive tandem engines mounted above a long, slender fuselage and enormous high-aspect-ratio wings spanning over 37 meters. The type's ability to loiter for hours in the stratosphere made it invaluable for ozone layer studies, volcanic plume sampling, and climate research missions that required access to altitudes far beyond the reach of conventional research aircraft. Only a handful of M-55s were produced, and the type remains operational in extremely limited numbers with Russian research institutions. Its unique mission profile—cruising at altitudes where pilots must wear pressure suits similar to those worn by cosmonauts—places it in rarefied company alongside the U-2 and ER-2 as one of the few crewed aircraft routinely operating at the edge of space. The Geophysica has participated in international atmospheric science campaigns across multiple continents, from Arctic ozone studies to tropical convection research, demonstrating remarkable endurance at extreme altitude despite its Cold War-era origins. SkyMeter has tracked flights across airframes and operators, with routes observed.