No Worries Over Balloonist’s Slow Speed

U.S. adventurer Steve Fossett was soaring far over the South Atlantic on Sunday, headed for South Africa in his attempt to make the first nonstop trip around the world in a balloon.

At 9 a.m. PDT, he had traveled more than 1,900 miles since lifting off from western Argentina on Friday. He was traveling a relatively slow 39 mph at 23,000 feet.

His control center at Washington University in St. Louis said he was still on course and should reach South Africa, passing south of Cape Town, in about three days.

The flight has been without complications, a spokesman said, except for a small fire Saturday that singed his eyebrows and one wrist.

Fossett’s team said they were not worried about his relatively slow speed, though they would prefer a stronger wind. They had predicted he would average about 50 mph during the journey.

Winds are stronger at higher altitudes, but Fossett’s capsule is not pressurized, limiting his cruising altitude to about 24,000 feet.

His control center said it was working to find a way to restore the two propane burners shut down by the fire, which occurred as Fossett was trying to fix a pilot-light problem.

The problem has not affected the balloon’s ability to change altitude--the only way it can change speed and direction.

The 54-year-old millionaire stockbroker is making his fourth attempt at one of manned flight’s most elusive records. His team hopes the trip can be done in 18 days, though he has enough fuel to stay up for about 20 days.

He chose the Southern Hemisphere for his latest attempt partly to avoid political problems. On a previous attempt, Libya refused to let him use its air space.