Vintage 1930s Black And White Photo Of The American Balloon `Explorer II` Editorial Image

The New Book of Knowledge Encyclopaedia 1930s / 1940s - Social history. Explorer II was a manned U.S. high-altitude balloon that was launched on November 11, 1935, and reached a record altitude of 22,066 m 72,395 ft. Launched from the Stratobowl in South Dakota, the helium balloon carried a two-man crew consisting of U. S. Army Air Corps Captains Albert W. Stevens and Orvil A. Anderson inside a sealed, spherical cabin. The crew landed safely near White Lake, South Dakota, both were acclaimed as national heroes. Scientific instruments carried on the gondola returned useful information about the stratosphere.