This was done to protect the data in case the gondola had a rough landing. The precautions proved unnecessary as the balloon landed gently in an open field near the town of White Lake, South Dakota at 4:13 pm. Aftermath The success of the mission was much celebrated in the press and the aeronauts were invited to an audience with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt. They became national heroes and both men were presented with the Hubbard Medal of the National Geographic Society by General John J. Pershing. The Air Corps awarded them the Mackay Trophy for the most meritorious flight of the year. Both men were also awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for each of the Explorer flights. Scientific observations made during the mission were highly successful and much data was collected, with the results appearing in scientific journals. The data and the crew experiences were later used when designing flight crew equipment and methods for high-altitude combat operations during World War II. The balloon used for the Explorer II expedition was cut up into a million strips and distributed as commemorative bookmarks among the NGS members who supported the mission. The gondola is on display at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum. See also Flight altitude record References External links Aviation records Individual balloons (aircraft) National Geographic Society