1 Inventing the Balloon 5
2 Exploring the Lower Atmosphere 11
Blue Hill Observatory 15
Meteorological Balloons 16
Plooution Drift 19
3 Soaring into the Upper Atmosphere 21
The Pressurized Gondola 25
New Balloon Materials 34
4 Investigating the Stratosphere 35
The Ozone Layer 37
Cloud Cover 40
Sulfuric Acid Drift 40
Technological Problems 40
5 Studying the Cosmos 41
BalloonBorne Telescopes 43
Vega 1 and Vega 2 45
Astronomical Balloons 47
A Telescope for Space 52
6 Simulating Space Travel 53
7 Bringing Us Closer 57
8 The Future of the Balloon 59
中译文 61