28
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. von Ehrenfried, Stratospheric Balloons, Springer Praxis Books,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68130-2_3
3
Balloon Elements
3.1 BALLOON ENVELOPES
3.1.1 Schjeldahl/Winzen
Although these two men are long gone, they are recognized as the pioneers in the
development of the plastic materials which enabled the development of envelopes
for stratospheric balloons.
In the 1940’s Gilmore Tilmen Schjeldahl started his career at Armour and Co.,
where he began working with polyethylene. Later, with his own company, he
secured a contract in April 1955 to create atmospheric research balloons made
with Mylar polyester film that was held together with an adhesive system that
Schjeldahl and his wife developed.
The G. T. Schjeldahl Co., received national fame for designing and building the
first communications satellite, Echo I. The company worked on Echo I, Echo II,
and the Stargazer and Stratoscope II science projects. It also made the laminate
and adhesive materials for the Polaris missile program.
In 1949 Otto and his wife Vera founded Winzen Research, Inc., to better develop
their own plastic balloons. Shortly thereafter, Otto pioneered a polyethylene resin
in the manufacture of his balloons. This was produced from ethylene, a petroleum
derivative, and was used to adhere the individual pieces of plastic together to form
the balloon. The polyethylene was light, fairly inexpensive, and was not affected
by ultraviolet radiation, making it ideal for altitudes at which ultraviolet from the
Sun is stronger. To make the balloons even thinner and therefore lighter, Winzen
convinced his suppliers to make their plastics slimmer. In fact, he was able to get
the material so thin that the plastic measured only 0.002 inches thick, thinner than
human hair.
© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021
M. von Ehrenfried, Stratospheric Balloons, Springer Praxis Books,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-68130-2_3
3
Balloon Elements
3.1 BALLOON ENVELOPES
3.1.1 Schjeldahl/Winzen
Although these two men are long gone, they are recognized as the pioneers in the
development of the plastic materials which enabled the development of envelopes
for stratospheric balloons.
In the 1940’s Gilmore Tilmen Schjeldahl started his career at Armour and Co.,
where he began working with polyethylene. Later, with his own company, he
secured a contract in April 1955 to create atmospheric research balloons made
with Mylar polyester film that was held together with an adhesive system that
Schjeldahl and his wife developed.
The G. T. Schjeldahl Co., received national fame for designing and building the
first communications satellite, Echo I. The company worked on Echo I, Echo II,
and the Stargazer and Stratoscope II science projects. It also made the laminate
and adhesive materials for the Polaris missile program.
In 1949 Otto and his wife Vera founded Winzen Research, Inc., to better develop
their own plastic balloons. Shortly thereafter, Otto pioneered a polyethylene resin
in the manufacture of his balloons. This was produced from ethylene, a petroleum
derivative, and was used to adhere the individual pieces of plastic together to form
the balloon. The polyethylene was light, fairly inexpensive, and was not affected
by ultraviolet radiation, making it ideal for altitudes at which ultraviolet from the
Sun is stronger. To make the balloons even thinner and therefore lighter, Winzen
convinced his suppliers to make their plastics slimmer. In fact, he was able to get
the material so thin that the plastic measured only 0.002 inches thick, thinner than
human hair.