helium balloon over the Pacific. In 160 hours and 34 minutes, the balloon, named "Two Eagles", arrived in Mexico, setting the longest distance and duration records for gas balloons. On other planets The Soviet Union space probes Vega 1 and Vega 2 each dropped a helium balloon with scientific experiments into the atmosphere of Venus in 1985. The balloons first entered the atmosphere and descended to about 50 km, then inflated for level flight. Otherwise the flight was uncontrolled. Each balloon relayed wind and atmospheric conditions for 46 hours of a possible 60-hour electric battery power budget. See also Toy balloon Gordon Bennett Cup – famous long-distance gas balloon race Tethered helium balloon Double Eagle II – first manned balloon to cross the Atlantic Ocean Lawnchair Larry flight – used a lawn chair and 45 helium-filled weather balloons to rise to Sky anchor Five Weeks in a Balloon by Jules Verne References External links Gasballoon Launch field Gladbeck World modern Gasballoon Launch field in Germany Albuquerque Gas Ballooning Association Hosts of the America's Challenge Gas Balloon Race Gas Ballooning.net - current information on the state of sport gas ballooning by gas balloon pilot Brian Critelli from Texas, USA. Gas Ballon.be - Belgian site with good gas balloon competition information Stratocat - Historical recompilation project on the use of stratospheric balloons in the scientific research, the military field and the aerospace activity Balloons (aeronautics) 1783 introductions French inventions