Albert William Stevens

He was born on March 13, 1886, in Belfast, Maine. He graduated from the University of Maine in 1909 with a master's degree in electrical engineering.

While flying over South America in 1930, Stevens took the first photograph of the Earth in a way that the horizon's curvature is visible.^[1] To photograph through haze, Stevens often employed infrared-sensitive film for long-distance aerial photography.^[2]

Accompanied by Lieutenant Charles D. McAllister of the Army Air Corps, Stevens took the first photograph of the Moon's shadow projected onto the Earth during a solar eclipse in August 1932.^[3]

On July 29, 1934, Stevens and two other Army Air Corps officers, Major William Kepner and Captain Orvil Arson Anderson, ascended in a specially-constructed balloon and gondola named Explorer I over north-western Nebraska in an attempt to exceed the current altitude record for manned flight. However, nearing the current record height, the balloon envelope ruptured, sending the gondola plunging to earth.^[4] All three crew were able to eventually exit and parachute to earth before the gondola crashed into a farm field.^[5]

On November 11, 1935, Stevens, along with Captain Anderson, made a record balloon ascent from the "Stratobowl" (a natural depression) near Rapid City, South Dakota.^[6] There were 20,000 spectators, while millions of people listened to a live NBC radio broadcast.^[7] Their sealed gondola Explorer II floated to 72,395 feet (22,066 m), nearly 14 miles (23 km), a world altitude record unequaled until 1946 and a balloon record unequaled until 1956.^{[8][9][10][11]}

Stevens was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross – one award for each of his two famous balloon flights.

He died on March 26, 1949, in Redwood City, California.

• Flight altitude record