Russian launches balloon in Australia in record attempt
July 12, 2016
65-year-old Russian adventurer Fedor Konyukhov was drifting east across the Australian Outback in a balloon on Tuesday in a bid to set a record for flying solo around the world nonstop. Konyukhov launched his 52-meter tall balloon from the same field outside Northam in Western Australia state where American adventurer Steve Fossett started his circumnavigation of the globe in 2002.