Scientific ballooning

A balloon carrying Biote and Gay-Lussac ascent reached an alpine peak in the Alps (4 miles elevation) to test the composition of the air and to study Earth's magnetic field. This kicked off significant use of balloons for conducting scientific research and marked the beginning of high-altitude explorations.
 Jean-Baptiste Biot and Joseph Louis Gay-Lussac France 1804 Scientific ballooning

A balloon carrying Biote and Gay-Lussac ascent reached an alpine peak in the Alps (4 miles elevation) to test the composition of the air and to study Earth's magnetic field. This kicked off significant use of balloons for conducting scientific research and marked the beginning of high-altitude explorations.