A January 2015 launch from Japan toward North America has officially broken two world records as validated by the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.
The balloon was initially developed for a 2005 and later 2008 flight attempt by Troy Bradley using the name Celestial Eagle with a crew including Tim Cole, Bert Padelt and John Kugler.
[2] The launch 2008 attempt from Japan was canceled due to weather that would have placed the balloon in storms off California and jet streams which may have altered path to Alaska.
[3] The 100 kg Kevlar-Carbon fiber capsule was built by Composite Tooling in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
The unpressurized cockpit requires pilots to use supplemental oxygen above 12,000 ft altitude.