Here's some more reading...........The Balloon
The Bud Light Spirit of Freedom balloon uses a combination of helium and hot air to fly, a design known as a Roziere balloon. The balloon envelope is 140 feet tall and 60 feet wide. It contains 550,000 cubic feet of helium plus 100,000 cubic feet of hot air. It was designed by Donald Cameron and built by Cameron Balloons Ltd, Bristol, England. It contains no engine; the balloon is powered solely by the wind. Forty tanks of fuel, a mixture of propane and ethane, hang from the outside of the capsule. This fuel is burned to heat the helium in the balloon to cause it to rise. The pilot steers the balloon by ascending or descending to catch winds blowing in the desired direction. The balloon carries the Comstock Autopilot, which can maintain the balloon at a constant altitude by using a computer to control the burners. This allows the pilot to get some sleep!
Andy Elson built the gondola to design specifications by Cameron Balloons. The gondola, an unpressurized capsule 7' long, 5-1/2' wide, and 5-1/2' high. It is a lightweight composite of Kevlar and carbon, fitted with a plastic bubble hatch on top. Lithium batteries power the electronic components inside the capsule. A pair of heaters keep the capsule interior temperature between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
A Global Positioning System (GPS) relies on satellites to determine the balloon's precise latitude and longitude for navigation. The Inmarsat C satellite communication system is the primary means of communication between Spirit of Freedom and mission control, with the Inmarsat Mini M satellite telephone as a backup. High-Frequency (HF) radio is used for communication with Air Traffic Control. Very-high-frequency (VHF) radio provides air-to-air and air-to-ground communication up to 100 miles. The Spirit of Freedom mission team is not giving out the radio frequencies used. Finally, the balloon is equipped with an Emergency Position Indicating Rescue Beacon (EPIRB) which can be activated by the pilot to initiate an international search and rescue.
Flight Path
The balloon will be launched from Northam, Western Australia. The Bud Light Spirit of Freedom Balloon flies with the wind. Upon a favorable trajectory forecast, Fossett will launch from West Australia and fly east over Australia. Next he will cross over the South Pacific. He will travel across Chile, Argentina and the South Atlantic Ocean. He expects to pass just south of Capetown, South Africa to the final stretch over the Indian Ocean. To succeed, he must land back in Australia at a longitude equal to or farther east than where he began his journey
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