English Original
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.
中文翻译
2001年8月5日，美国冒险家史蒂夫·福塞特从澳大利亚西部的沙漠中升空了他的高空热气球，开始了他的第六次尝试，旨在成为单人热气球环球飞行的第一人。
沐浴在金色晨光中的巨大气球，于早上7点后不久，缓缓飘入珀斯以东100公里处一个名为诺瑟姆的采矿小镇上空。由于风向不利，福塞特将充气时间推迟了六个半小时，但为了避开上午的热气流，他下令在黎明时分为气球充满氦气并启程。
在向大约100名镇民挥手致意后，福塞特进入吊舱，开始了预计为期15天的向东环球飞行。起飞前他表示：“对第一个夜晚我有点紧张。”他提到将检查气球是否有泄漏、通讯是否故障以及至关重要的加热系统是否工作。
这位曾是股票经纪人的百万富翁此前屡次尝试均告失败。最近一次在2001年6月于卡尔古利的发射尝试，因一阵怪风撕裂气球而告终。1998年，澳大利亚海岸附近的一场雷暴撕碎了他的气球顶篷，导致他从29,000英尺高空坠入珊瑚海；所幸他并未受伤。
为了这次尝试，57岁的福塞特选择了距离印度洋约600公里的澳大利亚西部作为发射地点。这一策略旨在更好地避开南太平洋的雷暴，并争取更多在陆地上空飞行的时间，以便检测和解决任何技术问题。