text: Industrialist-aviator Vijaypat Singhania on Saturday became the first man to soar 69,852 feet above sea level in a hot air balloon. In the process, he broke the world record of 64,997 feet, set by Per Lindstrand, in June 1988, in Texas.\n\nThe balloon, called Envelope and designed by Don Cameron, is around 160 feet high (approximately equivalent to the height of a 22-storey high building). It is made of 67,250 square feet of specially made light nylon, allowing it to gain altitude without much difficulty. It was inflated by blowing air into it using portable fans. It is also designed to be rip-proof, and the capacity of the air inside is 80,000 kilograms (80 tonnes) .\n\nThere are 18 burners of different capacity and design. The capsule is equipped with three fuel tanks, two filled with kerosene and one with propane. The weight of the balloon (including gondola, the envelope, 18 burners and other apparatus) is around 1,820 kilograms. The capsule is also equipped with necessary safety devices, should Singhania be forced to abort his mission. It is also fitted with state-of-the-art instrumentation and control systems for navigation.