US adventurer Steve Fossett launched his high-altitude balloon from the Western Australian desert on August 5, 2001, embarking on his sixth attempt to become the first person to fly a balloon solo around the world.
The giant balloon, bathed in golden morning light, drifted into the sky above Northam, a small mining town 100 km east of Perth, shortly after 7:00 a.m. Fossett had delayed inflation for six and a half hours due to unfavorable winds but ordered the balloon filled with helium for a dawn launch to avoid the morning's hot thermals.
Waving to about 100 townsfolk, Fossett entered the capsule for an eastward circumnavigation expected to take 15 days. "I am a bit nervous about the first night," he said before take-off, noting he would check for leaks, communication failures, and the crucial heating system.
The millionaire former stockbroker had a history of failed attempts. His most recent launch effort in June 2001 ended when a freak wind tore the balloon apart in Kalgoorlie. In 1998, a thunderstorm off Australia's coast shredded his canopy, sending him plummeting 29,000 feet into the Coral Sea; he emerged unhurt.
For this attempt, the 57-year-old chose a launch site in western Australia, approximately 600 km from the Indian Ocean. This strategy aimed to better avoid South Pacific thunderstorms and allow more time over land to detect and address any technical issues.