The crash resulted in a national embarrassment , leading Captain Albert W. Stevens , the scientific observer on board the '' Explorer '' balloon , to lobby for another attempt with an improved balloon to be named '' Explorer II '' . But news of the fatal crash of a Russian stratospheric attempt in 1934 left President Gilbert H. Grosvenor of the NGS sobered by the risk . A review of the crash by the National Bureau of Standards ( NBS ) was held between July and September , revealing that the balloon had not opened symmetrically during the ascent , causing stresses that led to the fabric tears . A month-long delay prior to launch had allowed the rubberized cotton to stick together , which created the uneven expansion . The hydrogen explosion followed when the gas in the bag mixed with the oxygen in the atmosphere
fatal crash of a Russian stratospheric attempt
Osoaviakhim-1
Explorer II