"DIVING" IN THE STRATOSPHERE

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 17, 20 January 1934, Page 21

"DIVING" IN THE STRATOSPHERE

That attempts will be made to surpass the Soviet balloon altitude ( record of 12 miles is certain, writes the aviaJion correspondent of the "Daily Telegraph." " There is afoot a project for substituting an "aerial diver's?' outfit for the closed, sealed, pressure-proof | cabin or sphere of Professor Piceard and other stratosphere explorers. The saving of weight by- this method would undoubtedly facilitate the attainment of a greater altitude, but the ballooning part of the problem presents tremendous difficulties.

Protection of;the explorer against reduced pressure, cold, and' diminished oxygen supply is, of course, necessary. At a height of 60,000 ft (Hi miles) a pilot in an open 'cockpit -or balloon basket would succuhib owing to the actual boiling of his blood.

.; As is well known, in reduced atmospheric pressure the boiling point of liquids is reduced. Jn'point, of fact an egg cannot be properly cooked by boiling at the height' of 20,000 ft.

If a metal suit is substituted for the closed sphere, great care must be-taken that it shall not fail in any detail.

By means of a balloon inflated with hydrogen, or any other gas, it will be extremely to surpass the height attained by the Russian balloonists. The difficulties increase with increased altitude."- '■' - ''~ ■ ?.■■'■■'•' ■■ •■ ■■

' Twenty-five miles has^ been suggested, but even at twenty miles the atmo-

sphere is so rarefied that gas expands to some ten times its normal volume at sea-level. : .

lii high-altitude ballooning the balloon is only partially inflated at the start, with the idea that at the ultimate height attained it will be quite full. In descending the gas shrinks in volume, and the balloon lands flabby;

■ To surpass the present record height an enormous gas bag must be used, and the wcighj of it is not to be overlooked. Moreover, a big reserve of ballast must be taken to avert disaster at; the landing. But to' lift balloon basket, explorer,' his special outfit, instruments, and ballast to a height of twenty, miles a very much bigger balloon than any yet made would be'necessaiyt—a balloon capable of holding considerably more than I,ooo,ooo'cubic feet of gas.'

In-falling, in a partially deflated condition it would gag up in itself and form a kind of, parachute. This, in fact, has been done on many occasions. Tho fall would be checked, and if the basket were provided with some sort of shock-absorber' the instruments would not suffer damage.* ■ ' Thero seems ,to be no reason, however, why further exploration of the stratosphere should not be carried out by njeans of unmanned balloons carrying automatic registering instruments.' Much has been done by this means, and the heights attained have already; exceeded that of the Soviet balloon.