Balloonists aim for first hydrogen flight across the Atlantic

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The Atlantic Explorer Team is preparing to attempt the first-ever hydrogen balloon flight across the Atlantic Ocean, with several crew members from Albuquerque, New Mexico, who have ties to the annual Balloon Fiesta there.

“This is what’s called a straight gas flight, and it will use hydrogen. It’s only really been attempted once before, and the team that did that tried to fly east to west, not the usual direction, but they didn’t make it all the way across. They had to ditch in the ocean, so this would be the first hydrogen flight if it succeeds,” crew member Kim Vesley said.

The crew will begin their journey launching from Maine.