During this flight, the balloon reached speeds of up to 322 kilometers (200 miles) per hour, and flew as high as 10,580 meters (34,710 feet).

[5] Designed and built by Tim Cole Sr. of Greeley, Colorado, out of kevlar and carbon with a clear bubble hatch.

Fossett used an autopilot designed by Bruce Comstock to control the burners while he averaged four hours of sleep per day in 45-minute naps.

[3]   Besides the Comstock autopilot, the gondola equipment included GPS, Inmarsat, and satellite phone backup for communications with Mission Control at Washington University in St. Louis.

The year after earning his Lighter than Air FAA certificate, Fossett's first major flight in August 1994 with copilot Tim Cole flew across the Atlantic from Canada to Germany.

[1][6] On February 21, 1995, Fossett was the first person to make a solo flight across the Pacific Ocean in a balloon from South Korea to Leader, Saskatchewan.

[7] After five previous attempts, on July 3, 2002, Steve Fossett became the first person to fly around the world alone, nonstop in any kind of aircraft in just under 15 days in the Spirit of Freedom balloon.

Mission Control: Joe Ritchie Director; Kevin Stass Air Traffic Specialist; Marcus Raichle M.D.

Medical Director; David Butler webmaster Australia Team: Northam Aero Club; Winward Ballooning; Gren Futland FAI Observer; Dave (Shorty) Ryan Logistics Director; Tony Ryan Support Manager.

Words/Pictures Team: Andy Milk; Errol Considine; Trevor Collens; Phil Yunker; Kevin Bond Team Members: August Busch III; Barron Hilton; Joe Castellano; Dan McHugh; Sheryl McAndrew; Tara Gray; Pierre D'Avenas; Doug Travis; Dick Smith.

[12] A seven-year project, Fossett believed that achieving the first solo round-the-world balloon flight was highly important.

Fossett experienced these threats on Aug. 16, 1998, when a violent thunderstorm ruptured the balloon envelope, causing him to fall 29,000 feet into the Coral Sea, 500 miles east of Australia.