Balloon and Optimism Soar on Around-the-World Try

One day into his quest to become the first balloonist to circle the globe, Steve Fossett was traveling about 80 mph at 22,000 feet over the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, about 70 miles southeast of Bermuda. He is expected to reach Europe by Saturday.

“Everything looks to be in flawless condition,” said Alan Blount, “mission control” director in St. Louis. “I think our odds are increasing that this thing’s going to succeed.”

Fossett’s only question Thursday was about the safety of a competitor who took off at the same time but was forced to abort his attempt.

“Did Kevin make a safe landing?” Fossett said in e-mail to his staff in St. Louis.

He was referring to Kevin Uliassi, like Fossett a Chicago native who was trying to go around the world. Both men took off Wednesday night, Fossett from Busch Stadium and Uliassi from a quarry near Rockford, Ill.

The impromptu race didn’t last long. Three hours after takeoff, a burst helium container forced Uliassi to abort and land, unhurt, in Indiana.

Making millions as a commodities trader has given Fossett, 53, the opportunity to pursue his dreams. He has climbed mountains, competed in triathlons, raced at Le Mans and swum the English Channel. He was the first person to successfully pilot a balloon over the Pacific Ocean and has tried three times before to go around the world.

The last time was in January 1997, also after a Busch Stadium takeoff. Fossett set a record by traveling 10,361 miles before running out of fuel and landing in a mustard field in India.

“Our biggest concern right now is getting about two nights in,” said Tim Cole, Fossett’s chief engineer.

This time, Fossett’s silver, 160-foot-tall pear-shaped balloon is 28% larger than last year’s model, with 1 1/2 times the fuel capacity. He estimates a successful trip would take about 15 days and believes he has enough fuel for 22 days.

A few other men in the United States and Europe plan similar quests, but the best they could hope for would be a historical asterisk if Fossett completes his mission.

There’s also a cash incentive. Anheuser-Busch brewers is offering a $1-million award: $500,000 to the first person or team to make it and $500,000 to the charity of the winner’s choice.

Fossett’s volunteer mission control staff includes meteorologists, engineers, computer experts and scientists. Cole estimated that 100 people are helping.

On Thursday, many of them were crammed in the control room in Brookings Hall, a historic stone structure on the campus of Washington University, Fossett’s alma mater. One man charted Fossett’s flight via computer; another updated a Web site devoted to the trip (https://www.solo.wustl.edu).