Red Bull Stratos: The Largest Manned Balloon Ever

What is Felix Baumgartner’s balloon made of? The balloon is constructed of nearly transparent polyethylene (plastic) strips about the same thickness as a dry cleaning bag, which are heat-sealed together. Why use such a delicate material? A very large balloon is needed to carry the Red Bull Stratos capsule (which weighs nearly 3,000 lbs / 1.360 kg) […]