Aeronautics: Highest

The Red Army balloon Stratostat, U. S. R. R. shot up from Moscow's airdrome one windless morning last week with a neatness that contrasted happily with eight previously bungled attempts. Up, up it sailed until it became a tiny silver bubble, then a pinpoint hanging in the sky. After about two hours the ground station received a radio flash from the Stratostat: it had passed Piccard's world record of 10 mi., was still climbing! Another three hours, and the U. S. S. R. had pulled itself up to 11.8 mi., was ready to come down. The descent went as smoothly as...

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