Up, Up, and Away

From their early beginnings, balloons soon soared to great heights. They became useful tools in the fields of art, science, and reconnaissance.

Moby Dick Reconnaissance Balloon

In 1956, more than 500 plastic reconnaissance balloons were launched for a program called Moby Dick. Ostensibly to gather meteorological information, the balloons were actually equipped with cameras to photograph Soviet territory. The balloons merely floated with the winds and were retrieved after passing beyond Soviet borders. Only 44 were successfully recovered. (13k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center


	Skyhook Camera

Explorer II High Altitude Balloon

The Explorer II balloon was designed to study conditions in the highest reaches of the atmosphere. It was flown in 1935 and carried Capt. Albert W. Stevens and Capt. Orvil A. Anderson higher than anyone had ever flown before. Sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the U.S. Army Air Corps, Explorer II rose to 72,395 feet, a world altitude record which held for 20 years. (47k jpg)
Courtesy of the Lee Wells Collection

Balloon and blimp photography have a lighter side as well. The Goodyear Blimp provided these unique views of familiar places and events.
Photographs courtesy Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company

First Looks - Balloons

Onwards and Upwards