Breitling Orbiter 3

"Breitling Orbiter 3" was the first balloon to fly around the world non-stop, piloted by Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones. Designed and built by Cameron Balloons, of Bristol, England, Breitling Orbiter 3 stood 55 m (180 ft) tall when fully inflated. The propane gas that fueled the six burners was contained in 28 titanium cylinders mounted in two rows along the sides of the gondola. Concerned about fuel consumption, the team added four additional propane containers prior to take-off; these additional four tanks would be needed to complete the trip.

The trip

Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones took off from the Swiss Alpine village of Château-d'Œx at 8:05, GMT, March 1, 1999. They landed in the Egyptian desert 19 days, 21 hours, and 55 minutes later on March 21, 1999, having traveled a distance of 40,814 km (25,361 mi). During the course of the trip, the balloon had climbed to altitudes of up to 11,373 m (37,313 ft), and achieved a maximum speed of 161 knots.

The daily routine called for each man to spend eight hours alone at the controls; eight hours working with his crewmate; and eight hours in the single bunk. A unique pressure-operated toilet was included in a curtained off area at the rear of the craft. In spite of heaters designed to maintain a more comfortable 15°C (59°F), cabin temperatures occasionally fell so low that drinking water froze and ice had to be carefully chipped away from delicate electronic circuitry on the interior walls.

On the morning of Monday, March 22, 1999, The Washington Post carried a front page feature article, "Earthbound but on Cloud Nine," describing the trip and the successful conclusion of the flight the day before. When asked by reporter Howard Schneider about the fate of "Breitling Orbiter 3", project manager Alan Noble remarked that the sponsors and the team "...would probably donate the craft to a museum. Possibly the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian." these words would later become fact. The gondola of the orbiter now resides on the ground floor of the National Air and Space Museum in the Milestones of Flight Gallery, next to other legendary aircraft - The Wright Brothers 1903 "Flyer", Charles Lindbergh's "Spirit of St. Louis", the Mercury "Friendship 7" capsule, the "Gemini IV" capsule, the "Apollo 11" command module, and "Space Ship One".

The balloon

The "Breitling Orbiter 3" was a Rozier balloon, which combines the features of a hot-air balloon and a gas balloon, with a helium cell within the hot-air envelope. Initially, the helium cell is filled to approximately 47% of its maximum capacity. During ascent, the drop in atmospheric pressure and the expansion of gas due to the effect of the sun make the helium increase in volume and the balloon thus gains altitude.

The gondola

The "Breitling Orbiter 3" gondola was constructed of a weave of Kevlar and carbon fiber material. After take-off the cabin was sealed at 1,800 m (6,000 ft) to trap the air within it. During the flight the cabin atmosphere was supplemented by nitrogen and oxygen; the carbon dioxide was removed by lithium hydroxide filters. Cabin pressure was maintained at around 3.5 psi by adding oxygen and nitrogen to the cabin air, as necessary. At 10,000 m (33,000 ft), the cabin pressure equaled the atmospheric pressure at 3,000 m (10,000 ft). Solar panels suspended beneath the gondola recharged the onboard lead-acid batteries that provided electrical power. Satellite-based systems enabled the crew to navigate via GPS as well as communicate.

References

* [http://www.nasm.si.edu/research/aero/aircraft/breitling.htm National Air & Space Museum page for the orbiter]

External links

* [http://www.cameronballoons.co.uk/rtw/news2.htm Cameron Balloons orbiter website]
* [http://www.orbiterballoon.com/ Brian Jones' personal website for the orbiter project]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/11/98/great_balloon_challenge/299847.stm BBC NEWS: Life inside "Breitling Orbiter 3"]