Breitling Orbiter was the name of three differentRozière balloons made by theBristol-based balloon manufacturerCameron Balloons tocircumnavigate the globe, named after the Swiss watchmakersBreitling. The third was successful in March 1999 of making the first nonstop flight around the world by balloon. It was piloted byBertrand Piccard andBrian Jones.[1]
 Breitling Orbiter 3 gondola side view | |
Balloon | |
|---|---|
| Height: | 180 ft (55 m) inflated |
| Fuel: | Propane |
| Type: | Rozier balloon |
| Model: | Cameron R-650 |
Gondola | |
| Height: | 10 ft 3 in (3.1 m) |
| Length: | 17 ft 10 in (5.4 m) |
| Weight: | 4,400 lb (2,000 kg) empty |
| Material: | Kevlar andcarbon fiber composite weave |
| Cabin Air: | nitrogen-oxygen mixture |
| Cabin Pressure: | 3.5 psi (24 kPa) at altitude |
| Manufacturer: | Cameron Balloons, 1998 |
| Location: | Gondola:Udvar-Hazy Center,National Air and Space Museum, Dulles Airport outside Washington D.C. |
 Breitling Orbiter 3 gondola end view | |
Breitling Orbiter 3 was the firstballoon to fly around the world non-stop, piloted byBertrand Piccard andBrian Jones. Designed and built byCameron Balloons, ofBristol,England,Breitling Orbiter 3 stood 180 ft (55 m) tall when inflated completely. The propane gas that fueled its 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 launch; these additions proved necessary to complete the trip. The Breitling Orbiter 3 held the record for the longest distance un-refuelled flight (25,360 mi (40,813 km)) of any aircraft in aviation history until the 2006 flight of theVirgin Atlantic GlobalFlyer. It still holds the record for the longest duration un-refuelled flight (19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes).[2]
The gondola is on display in theUdvar-Hazy Center at theNational Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport outside Washington, D.C. A model of the Orbiter 3 constructed with a spare Orbiter 2 envelope was exhibited atGasometer Oberhausen from 2004 to 2006.[3]
TheBreitling Orbiter 3 was aCameron R-650Rozière balloon, which combines the features of ahot-air balloon and agas balloon, with ahelium cell within a hot-air envelope. Initially, the helium cell is filled to approximately 47% of its maximum capacity. During ascent, warming by the sun causes the helium to expand even more than the surrounding air, which aids the balloon in gaining altitude (unlike the expansion caused by the drop in atmospheric pressure, which can even hinder that until the air and helium temperatures equalize).[2]
TheBreitling Orbiter 3 gondola was constructed of a weave ofKevlar andcarbon fiber material. After launching, the cabin was sealed at 6,000 ft (1,800 m) to trap the air within it. During the flight the cabin atmosphere was supplemented bynitrogen andoxygen;carbon dioxide was removed bylithium hydroxide filters. Cabin pressure was maintained at around 3.5 psi (24 kPa) by adding oxygen and nitrogen to the cabin air as necessary. At 33,000 ft (10,000 m), thecabin pressure equaledatmospheric pressure at 10,000 ft (3,000 m).Solar panels suspended beneath the gondola recharged the on-board lead-acid batteries that provided electrical power. Satellite-based systems enabled the crew to navigate viaGPS as well as communicate.
Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones launched from theSwissAlpine village ofChâteau-d'Oex at 8:05, GMT, March 1, 1999.[4] They traveled southwest over the Mediterranean and then swung east overMauritania on March 2 at a starting meridian of 9 degrees, 12 minutes west. They landed in theEgyptian desert after being aloft 19 days, 21 hours, and 55 minutes on March 21, 1999, having traveled a distance of 25,361 mi (40,814 km). During the course of the flight, the balloon had climbed to altitudes of up to 38,507 ft (11,737 m), and achieved speeds up to 123 knots (142 mph; 228 km/h). The official "finish line" of the circumnavigation occurred over Mauritania at 4:54 AM, EST on March 19. The goal of ending in Egypt had been to touch down near theGreat Pyramids; however, high winds forced the pilots to land short of their target about 80 kilometers north ofMut. Aboard, they carried a copy ofGuy de Maupassant'sA Life, which had been inscribed by Maupassant toJules Verne, who had imagined such a flight in his novel,Five Weeks in a Balloon. The book had been loaned to the pilots to carry for good luck by a grandson of Jules Verne from the novelist's personal library.[5]
Jones noted Piccard'sGeneva news conference remarks: "We took off as friends and landed as brothers."[6]
The daily routine was for each man to spend eight hours alone at the controls, eight hours working with his crewmate, and eight hours in the singlebunk. A unique pressure-operatedtoilet was included in a curtained off area at the rear of the craft. Despite the use of heaters designed to maintain a cabin temperature of 59 °F (15 °C), temperatures occasionally decreased so much at night that drinking water froze and ice had to be chipped away from delicate electronic circuitry on the interior walls.
When asked by reporter Howard Schneider about the fate ofBreitling Orbiter 3, the 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 or the Smithsonian."[7] And indeed the gondola was located for several years on the ground floor of the National Air and Space Museum in the Milestones of Flight Gallery, next to theWright Brothers1903Flyer,Charles Lindbergh'sSpirit of St. Louis, theMercuryFriendship 7 capsule, theGemini IV capsule, theApollo 11command moduleColumbia, andSpace Ship One.
The gondola is now displayed at the Udvar-Hazy Center of theNational Air and Space Museum, Dulles Airport outside Washington D.C.
