Konyukhov Seeks Another Balloon Record

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Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov, who last year flew around the world solo in a gas balloon, setting a new speed record, now is working on a plan to build the biggest-ever hot-air balloon and fly it to a record-setting altitude of 82,000 feet. The balloon envelope, to be built by Cameron Balloons in the United Kingdom, will have a capacity of about 3.5 million cubic feet and stand more than 220 feet high. The current altitude record for hot-air balloons is 68,986 feet, also set by a Cameron balloon, flown by Indian businessman Vijaypat Singhania in 2005. Konyukhov has said he hopes to fly even higher, to 100,000 feet or more, to glimpse the blackness of space. No date has been set for the attempt, but Konyukhov has said he hopes to fly later this year.

The launch will take place from the new Vostochny spaceport, known as the Cosmodrome, which is under construction in eastern Russia. Balloons have flown to the edge of space before, but they are gas balloons, using a lighter-than-air gas such as helium in a sealed envelope. Hot-air balloons require an open envelope with an outside source of heat to provide lift. Konyukhov also set a new record for duration of flight in a hot-air balloon last month, with fellow pilot Ivan Menyayalo, spending more than 55 hours aloft. They beat a record of 50 hours and 38 minutes that had stood since 1997.

images: Cameron Balloons

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