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A balloon is an unpowered aircraft that floats through the air using buoyancy rather than engines or wings to generate lift. Balloons have historically mattered for transportation, scientific observation, and recreation, relying on their ability to rise and drift with air currents.
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A hot air balloon in flight In 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones achieved the first non-stop balloon circumnavigation in Breitling Orbiter 3.
In aeronautics, a balloon is an unpowered aerostat, which remains aloft or floats due to its buoyancy. It may use hot air as a lifting gas, or it may use gas that is not air like hydrogen or helium. A balloon may be free, moving with the wind, or tethered to a fixed point. It is distinct from an airship, which is a powered aerostat that can propel itself through the air in a controlled manner.