 | | Wednesday 3rd September 2003
Record attempt off until next year | |
|  | | Simulation of the record attempt |
| | The deputy flight director of the attempt to take a balloon to the edge of space says it will be another year before they can have another try. |
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Ian Ashpole, the Ross based balloonist, is no stranger to record attempts himself.
His headline grabbing exploits have included tightrope-walking between two balloons.
On this record attempt he was the deputy flight controller, responsible for arranged flight clearances with air traffic control, and liaising with British Airways over Concorde and with the RAF over military flights.
He says everyone involved in the project is disappointed at this last-minute set back, but stresses that they were breaking new ground.
"This is the largest balloon that's ever been built. It was was a bit of an unknown, how the inflation process would go, but we were very disappointed when we saw the balloon begin to deflate.
"We have discovered that there was a split, a rupture, not in one of the seams but in the fabric itself.
"We really don't know what caused it, but we're obviously going to look into it very carefully."
Years delay
He says it will be another year now before they can stage another attempt.
"There is no way we can build a balloon in time for the weather window.
"We're virtually at the end of our weather window for this year anyway - we would only have another four or five weeks maybe of conditions which are suitable for the making of the flight.
"We will have to build a new balloon and the next weather window will be in 2004 if we're in a position to go for it."
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