"Explorer II" Motion Picture Film

Launched on November 11, 1935, from the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, "Explorer II" carried Captain Albert Stevens, Captain Orvil Anderson, and an assortment of instruments to a world record altitude of 22,066 kilometers (72,395 feet). This collection consists of two reels of 16mm silent motion picture film relating to "Explorer II."

Launched on November 11, 1935, from the Stratobowl near Rapid City, South Dakota, "Explorer II" carried Captain Albert Stevens, Captain Orvil Anderson, and an assortment of instruments to a world record altitude of 22,066 kilometers (72,395 feet). The venture was funded jointly by the United States Army Air Corps and the National Geographic Society. The first world altitude-record attempt, in 1934 in "Explorer I," ended unsuccessfully when the balloon ripped and the hydrogen inside mixed with air and exploded. "Explorer II" was redesigned with wider portholes and a larger balloon which was filled with helium. The crew was also reduced from three to two and the scientific payload was halved. The record-setting "Explorer II" flight was a success in numerous ways such as aerial photography, including the first photographs showing the division between the troposphere and the stratosphere and the actual curvature of the earth from the record altitude; demonstrating the potential of high-altitude, long-range reconnaissance from manned balloons; and collecting data for studies in cosmic ray research, the ozone layer, aeronomy, meteorology, biology, and radio propagation in the high atmosphere. The flight was also a public relations success for the Army and the National Geographic Society, and was a successful venture between government, military, and civilian scientific interests.