Highest Balloon

An unmanned "sounding balloon" has risen to 140,000 feet (26 1/2-miles), breaking the altitude record for any man-made object except rockets. So the U.S. Army Signal Corps announced last week. The balloon, released over Belmar, N.J. carried 2 1/2 pounds of instruments which radioed data on atmospheric pressure, temperature, etc. The maximum altitude was deduced from the pressure signals; the balloon disappeared behind clouds at about 40,000 feet, was not seen again.

Made of thin Neoprene latex (synthetic rubber), the balloon was about 17 feet in diameter while on the ground. It was partially inflated with hydrogen, which expanded it into a sphere only when it reached 35,000 feet. Rising still higher, the balloon stretched itself to 75 feet in diameter before it finally burst.

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