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 Balloonists hope for record-breaking launch Tuesday
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ALICE SPRINGS, Australia (CNN) -- An Australian and an American plan to launch a round-the-world nonstop balloon flight from central Australia Tuesday, after thunderstorms forced the cancellation of a Monday attempt.
Strong winds that had prevented the pair from taking off in the past two weeks have eased, which may allow for a launch from the outback town of Alice Springs if weather cooperates, said the launch organizer, Re/Max.
If the launch goes as planned, the pilots will immediately set a new manned-balloon altitude record as they soar to the edge of the stratosphere.
U.S. millionaire David Liniger and Australian ballooning champion John Wallington have said they would fly the balloon at an altitude of 39 kilometers (24 miles).
"The winds aloft are absolutely perfect, the fastest we can expect to get, and they will slow in the next few weeks. So we need to go!" Liniger told CNN.
He said the launch window for the flight will close January 17.
The two men hope to become the first to fly a balloon around the world nonstop. The planned flight is the latest in a series, the most recent of which was attempted by Chicago millionaire Steve Fossett, British tycoon Richard Branson and Per Lindstrand of Sweden.
That attempt ended in failure December 25 when the craft hit a wall of dead air near the Hawaiian islands.
The idea of the extreme altitude planned by the Team Re/Max crew is to avoid the weather problems that have foiled other round-the-world attempts.
No other balloon team has yet attempted to fly so high, where atmospheric pressure will be only 1/250th of that at ground level. The crew members will travel inside a pressurized gondola and be outfitted with Russian space suits.
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"We'll actually wear the suits on the way up," Liniger said. "Well make sure we're stabilized and the temperature of the capsule is OK. Then we'll take them off and save them for an emergency -- some sort of pressure leak -- and then we'll be wearing them on the way down."
The Re/Max crew has admitted that the high-altitude flight is a risky venture, as the technology has not yet been tested.
"It's a bit more dangerous," Liniger said. "Low-level pilots have the ability to descend before they get into trouble. But we have a great deal of confidence in our crew and our craft."
If successful, their westward journey around the world is expected to take 16 to 18 days.
Liftoff was first scheduled for December 27.
Originally the team had a three-man crew, but due to weight concerns, Bob Martin of the United States agreed to stay on the ground to lighten the load.
Reporter Hugh Williams and Reuters contributed to this report.
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