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[b]Space Cover 342: U.S. Balloon flights of 1933–1934 Tied by Names of Those Involved: Piccard and Settle[/b] With the successes of Balloon penetrations by Auguste Piccard in Europe, the organizers of the Chicago's World Fair of 1933thought that it would be a great piece of publicity to have Piccard perform the first US launched stratospheric launch from the interior of Soldier's Field. The oval stadium would provide some protection from the wind for the initial lift-off. Nobel prize winning Arthur H. Compton of the University of Chicago was listed in the publicity of this Piccard/Compton balloon flight. He provided measurement apparatus to study cosmic rays and ozone. Piccard agreed to come to the U.S. but was unable to keep his promise. His twin brother, Jean Piccard, worked at the University of Chicago and was tapped to take Auguste's place in flying on August 5, 1933. But at the last minute someone did some checking and found that Jean Piccard did not have a balloon pilot's license and he was grounded. The officials of the World's Fair told Piccard that if would allow someone else to fly it, they would give him the balloon along with the gondola, which was named "The Century of Progress." He accepted the offer. A Navy officer, Lt. Commander "Tex" Settle was at the site and had a license and so he lifted off about 3 AM. Crowds watched as it went up but within the hour it floated down into a railroad yard, about a mile from the launch site. A valve rope had been caught between the pleats of the fabric and Settle was unable to free it. On November 11, 1933 "Tex" Settle tried again, but this time with U.S. Marine Corps. Major Chester Fordney who had supervised the salvage of the previous balloon in Chicago. They lifted off on November 11, 1933 with hopes of surpassing an altitude flight world record set by three Russians who had broken Auguste Piccard's record. Settle and Fordney did set a new altitude record of 61,237 feet but came down at night in a swampy area near Lakehurst, New Jersey. They had dumped their radio due to an overly fast descent and were unable to get help. They slept through the cold and in the morning, Maj. Fordney trudged out for five miles to where he was able to get help to save the gondola. Both were awarded the Harmon Trophy. Jean Piccard and his wife, Jeannette did get the Century of Progress balloon and gondola and on October 23 1934 they lifted off from Dearborn, MI. They rose to 57,579 feet making Jeannette Piccard the first woman to travel into the stratosphere. She piloted the balloon and Jean along with a pet turtle accompanied her. The balloon came down near Cadiz, OH. Jeannette recalled, "The National Geographic Society would have nothing to do with sending a woman — a mother — in a balloon into danger. Jeannette is a member of the Space Hall of Fame. Below is a cover with her signature that I found this year in a dollar box and one of her husband.
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