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Bertie's Space Stuff - edition 05
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# Spacelab accomplishments reviewed at meeting #

15 March 1999

When scientists start conducting science experiments on board the
International Space Station, they will be drawing on a heritage
developed on 29 Space Shuttle missions that carried Spacelab, a
reusable laboratory for space.

In the process, Spacelab brought together scientists whose diverse
disciplines would have kept them from meeting but for one fact. Their
experiments somehow made the right fit, or at least did not interfere,
so they could fly together.

Check out the following webpage for the rest of the article and some
neat photos of the Spacelab:

http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/msad15mar99_1.htm


# Balloonists over Pacific, claim distance record #

15 March 1999

GENEVA (Reuters) -- A Swiss-British team floated eastwards over the
Pacific on Monday, boldly going further, they said, than any
balloonists have gone before. 

The team's mission control centre in Geneva said Bertrand Piccard and
Brian Jones had traveled 25,800 kilometers (16,030 miles) since
setting off from the Swiss Alps two weeks ago. 

That beats the previous best set by American Steve Fossett early last
year of 22,910 kilometers (14,240 miles). But the adventurers, bidding
to make the first non-stop balloon trip round the world, will have to
wait a while yet for official confirmation. 

"In theory, they've beaten the record. Now we have to check
everything's in order," said Matthieu Fouvy, a spokesman for the
Lausanne-based International Aeronautical Federation, which verifies
air sports records. 

Fouvy said it was up to the national authorities of both pilots to
submit their claim for a new record once the voyage was complete. Then
the federation would get to work. 

On Monday, Piccard and Jones, in their Breitling Oribiter 3 craft,
were at an altitude of 11,000 meters (36,090 ft), southeast of Hawaii
and aiming for Mexico, a spokesman for the team said. 

They were traveling at a speed of around 130 kph (80.78 mph). 

The spokesman said the pair had not broken out the champagne on
beating Fossett's mark. "They don't have any," he said. "And we're
waiting until they've made it all the way round." 

Piccard, a Swiss psychiatrist, and former British Royal Air Force
pilot Jones aim to catch a high-speed jet stream which should sweep
them to Mexico within about two days. 

After another one and a half days crossing Central America, they plan
to head out over the Atlantic, aiming to complete their journey in
Africa next weekend. 

The pair took off from Chateau d'Oex in the Swiss Alps on March 1 and
swung westwards out over Morocco before turning east to cross Asia and
pass through a previously agreed corridor over China before heading
out into the Sea of Japan and the Pacific. 

For Piccard, 41, it is his third round-the-world attempt. Several
other balloonists have also tried and failed, including Fossett and
British tycoon Richard Branson. 

Earlier this month, an all-British team of Andy Elson, who flew with
Piccard last year, and Colin Prescot had to ditch off Japan due to bad
weather after setting the balloon endurance record of 18 days aloft. 

Copyright 1999 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

http://europe.cnn.com/WORLD/asiapcf/9903/15/BC-SWISS-BALLOON.reut/

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