Three international pilots have made history by completing the first-ever manned transoceanic flight powered solely by hydrogen gas.
They touched down in Bastendorf, Luxembourg, at 5:58 a. m.
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on Sunday, June 7, 2026.
The 70-hour journey began in Presque Isle, Maine, on Thursday morning, June 4, 2026.
The crew included Alicia Hempleman-Adams of Great Britain, Bert Padelt of Pennsylvania, and Peter Cuneo of New Mexico.
Hempleman-Adams became the first British woman and the second woman in history to complete a transoceanic gas balloon crossing.
Challenging Conditions
The team navigated an open basket exposed to freezing elements at an average altitude of 14,000 feet, with speeds reaching up to 62 mph.
After clearing Newfoundland, the crew entered open ocean waters where the only alternative landing spot was the sea.
They constantly adjusted altitudes to find correct flight paths.
Atlantic Explorer 2026 Press Officer Kim Vesely tracked the flight as the balloon traveled nearly 900 miles from its starting point by Friday morning, reaching speeds of approximately 60 mph at 12,000 feet above sea level.
Vesely noted that the pilots had to carefully manage altitude, gas consumption, and ballast usage.
"If they reach their goal, they will be the first to accomplish this feat with a balloon solely using hydrogen to generate lift," said Vesely in an early flight update.
Organizers stated that the flight required navigating varying wind currents while avoiding storms across a distance of 3,100 to 3,500 miles.
Only 19 successful Atlantic balloon crossings have been recorded out of more than 140 years of aviation history.
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"Now that they are past Newfoundland, there is no respite until they reach Europe – their only place to land is in the open ocean," said Vesely.
The mission relied on a flight control team based in Britain, alongside weather and technical specialists across the United States and Europe.
The ground operation also included balloon inflation leaders Jason Fischer of Latvia and John Piper of New York.
Following the successful landing, the crew celebrated the record-breaking achievement.
Hempleman-Adams, who received an MBE for her services to hot air ballooning in 2024, noted the extreme difficulty caused by weather conditions.
"I'm incredibly proud that we completed the crossing and made it safely across to Luxembourg," said Hempleman-Adams.
The pilot noted that ice accumulation from rain added real jeopardy to the flight. "There were times when we thought we might not make it," she said.
She expressed gratitude toward her teammates. "It was an extraordinary team effort to keep going and bring the balloon safely across the Atlantic.
I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn so much from two world-class pilots," said Hempleman-Adams.
Aviation achievements run in the family, as her father, Sir David Hempleman-Adams, previously completed the same Atlantic crossing solo in an open basket.
He praised the team for managing the journey under harsh circumstances.
"I am enormously proud of Alicia," said Sir David Hempleman-Adams. He emphasized that his own experience allowed him to understand the intense physical and technical demands.
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"I know first-hand just how tough an Atlantic crossing in an open basket can be, and to complete it in such challenging conditions is a remarkable achievement," he said.
